# justify

Pronunciation: say "JUS-ti-fy" /ˈd͡ʒʌstɪfaɪ/

## Verb

1. To provide an acceptable explanation for an action, decision, or belief.
   - Simple: To give a good reason for something you did, chose, or believe.
   - _The manager was asked to justify the sudden budget cuts to the board._
   - _Critics demanded that the agency justify its decision to close the clinic._
2. To be a good or acceptable reason for something; to warrant it.
   - Simple: To be a good enough reason for something.
   - _The promising early results justify further investment in the research._
   - _Nothing could justify such a harsh punishment._
3. To give reasons for one's actions in order to prove that one was in the right.
   - Simple: To explain your actions so people see you were right.
   - _She refused to justify herself to people who had already judged her._
   - _Whenever questioned, he would justify his every move, insisting he had done nothing wrong._
4. To arrange text so that the left and right edges of every line in a paragraph are aligned.
   - Simple: To space out lines of text so both edges line up evenly.
   - _The designer justified the columns to give the brochure a clean, blocky look._
   - _Word processors let you justify a paragraph with a single click._
5. To absolve someone and declare them free of blame or sin.
   - Simple: To declare that someone is free from blame or sin.
   - _The reformers argued that faith alone could justify a sinner before God._
   - _Only divine grace justifies the repentant soul._
6. To prove something to be true; to confirm or ratify it.
   - Simple: To show that something is true or correct.
   - _The investigation justified every claim the whistleblower had made._
   - _Time would justify her predictions about the market._
7. To show that a person had a sufficient legal reason for an act of which they are accused.
   - Simple: To prove in court that someone had a lawful reason for what they did.
   - _The defense sought to justify the accused on grounds of self-defense._
   - _The court found facts that justified the constable in making the arrest._
8. In law, to swear on oath that one owns enough property to qualify as a surety.
   - Simple: To swear in court that you own enough property to act as a guarantee for someone.
   - _The two men came forward to justify as sureties for the prisoner's release._
   - _He justified by taking an oath that his land was worth twice the bond._

## Origin

It comes from Middle English justifien, borrowed from Old French justifier, from Late Latin justificare meaning "make just": a combination of Latin justus ("just") and ficare ("make," from facere).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/justify (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).