justificatory

American  

[juh-stif-i-kuh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, juhs-tuh-fi-key-tuh-ree] / dʒʌˈstɪf ɪ kəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i, ˈdʒʌs tə fɪˌkeɪ tə ri /

Also justificative

adjective

1. serving to justify; providing justification.

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Etymology

Origin of justificatory

1570–80; < Late Latin justificā ( re ) to justify + -tory ¹

Example Sentences

Clinging onto the property/person distinction or hiding behind the justificatory force of welfare laws, and doing nothing more than re-asserting speciesism and human exceptionalism, are just not very convincing in this day and age.

From Slate • Jun. 17, 2022

They must thus cover them with dollops of justificatory pride, to lever some notional dollop of happiness.

From The Guardian • Jul. 24, 2012

Accompanying the message, as documents justificatory of the action to be taken, were four official papers.

From Sea Power in its Relations to the War of 1812 Volume 1 by Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer)

The threatened directors sent a justificatory message to the councils, and proposed peace.

From History of the French Revolution from 1789 to 1814 by Mignet, M. (François-Auguste-Marie-Alexis)

The economic historian is in danger of making his analysis and his statement of a law on the basis of present conditions and then passing to history for justificatory appendixes to his conclusions.

From The Frontier in American History by Turner, Frederick Jackson