JUSTIFY • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Justify

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/dʒˈəstəfˌaɪ/ Listen

Justify

verb

(past & past part. justified; pres. part. justifying)

Show to be reasonable or provide adequate ground for. Synonym: warrant. "The end justifies the means"

Show to be right by providing justification or proof. Synonym: vindicate.

Defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning. Synonyms: apologise, apologize, excuse, rationalise, rationalize. "He rationalized his lack of success"

Let off the hook. Synonyms: absolve, free. Antonym: blame.

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"Justify" Quotes from Famous Books

... not Reason Inconsistency Hope in Humanity Self-love in Religion Limitation of Love of Poetry Humility of the Amiable Temper in Argument Patriarchal Government Callous self-conceit A Librarian Trimming Death Love an Act of the Will Wedded Union Difference between Hobbes and Spinosa The End may justify the Means Negative Thought Man's return to Heaven Young Prodigies Welch names German Language The Universe Harberous An Admonition To Thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry Definition of Miracle Death, and grounds of belief in a Future State Hatred of Injustice Religion The Apostles' ...

— Literary Remains (1) • Coleridge

... West Point experiments by General Totten, would seem to prove them abundantly capable of doing this. Against such proofs the mere ad captandum assertion of their incapacity can have but little weight—certainly not enough to justify the abandonment of a system approved by the best military authorities of this country and Europe, and sanctioned by ...

— Elements of Military Art and Science • Henry Wager Halleck

... quite a youth, and escaped to Holland, from which he had only returned a few months previous to the incident of this narrative. Contemporaries spoke of him as being most accomplished, and of gallant bearing. The real nature of the dispute has not descended sufficiently authentic to justify more minute reference than that rumour assigned it to have been an accusation that Alan was imprudently intimate with the handsome widow of Strone (a Bhanntrach Ruadh). The delicate insinuation was resented by Alan in language probably more plain than polite. Mr Cameron ...

— The Celtic Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 3, January 1876 • Various

... reverence, The holy habit of obediency, Must I pluck live asunder from thy name? Oh, do it not!—I pray thee do it not!— Thou wilt not— Thou canst not end in this! It would reduce All human creatures to disloyalty Against the nobleness of their own nature. 'Twill justify the vulgar misbelief Which holdeth nothing noble in free-will, And trusts itself to impotence alone, Made powerful only in ...

— Blackwoods Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 59, No. 365, March, 1846 • Various

... doctrine, but willing to uplift thy testimony against the errors and arts of the Church of Rome. At present thy prejudices occupy thy mind like the strong keeper of the house mentioned in Scripture. But, remember, thou wilt soon be called upon to justify what thou hast said, and I trust to see thy name rank high amongst those by whom the prey shall be rent ...

— The World's Greatest Books, Vol VII • Various

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