From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Justify \Jus"ti*fy\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Justified}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Justifying}.] [F. justifier, L. justificare; justus
just + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See {Just}, a., and
{-fy}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. To prove or show to be just; to vindicate; to maintain or
defend as conformable to law, right, justice, propriety,
or duty.
[1913 Webster]
That to the height of this great argument
I may assert eternal providence,
And justify the ways of God to men. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
Unless the oppression is so extreme as to justify
revolution, it would not justify the evil of
breaking up a government. --E. Everett.
[1913 Webster]
2. To pronounce free from guilt or blame; to declare or prove
to have done that which is just, right, proper, etc.; to
absolve; to exonerate; to clear.
[1913 Webster]
I can not justify whom the law condemns. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
3. (Theol.) To treat as if righteous and just; to pardon; to
exculpate; to absolve.
[1913 Webster]
By him all that believe are justified from all
things, from which ye could not be justified by the
law of Moses. --Acts xiii.
39.
[1913 Webster]
4. To prove; to ratify; to confirm. [Obs.] --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
5. (Print.) To make even or true, as lines of type, by proper
spacing; to align (text) at the left (left justify) or
right (right justify) margins of a column or page, or at
both margins; to adjust, as type. See {Justification}, 4.
[1913 Webster]
6. (Law)
(a) To show (a person) to have had a sufficient legal
reason for an act that has been made the subject of a
charge or accusation.
(b) To qualify (one's self) as a surety by taking oath to
the ownership of sufficient property.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
The production of bail in court, who there
justify themselves against the exception of the
plaintiff. --Bouvier's
Law Dict.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
Syn: To defend; maintain; vindicate; excuse; exculpate;
absolve; exonerate.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Justify \Jus"ti*fy\, v. i.
1. (Print.) To form an even surface or true line with
something else; to fit exactly.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Law) To take oath to the ownership of property sufficient
to qualify one's self as bail or surety.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
justify
v 1: show to be reasonable or provide adequate ground for; "The
emergency does not warrant all of us buying guns"; "The end
justifies the means" [syn: {justify}, {warrant}]
2: show to be right by providing justification or proof;
"vindicate a claim" [syn: {justify}, {vindicate}]
3: defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by
reasoning; "rationalize the child's seemingly crazy
behavior"; "he rationalized his lack of success" [syn:
{apologize}, {apologise}, {excuse}, {justify}, {rationalize},
{rationalise}]
4: let off the hook; "I absolve you from this responsibility"
[syn: {absolve}, {justify}, {free}] [ant: {blame}, {fault}]
5: adjust the spaces between words; "justify the margins"
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