justify
verb
jus·ti·fy
ˈjə-stə-ˌfī 
justified; justifying
1
a
: to prove or show to be just, right, or reasonable
trying to justify his selfish behavior
I shouldn't have to justify myself to them.
justify the ways of God to man—
John Milton
John Milton
b(1)
: to show to have had a sufficient legal reason
(2)
: to qualify (oneself) as a surety (see surety sense 3) by taking oath to the ownership of sufficient property
2
3
a
: to space (lines of text) so that the lines come out even at the margin
b
: to make even by spacing lines of text
justified margins
1
a
: to show a sufficient lawful reason for an act done
b
: to qualify as bail or surety
the surety justified on the bail bond
2
: to justify lines of text
Examples of justify in a Sentence
He tried to justify his behavior by saying that he was being pressured unfairly by his boss.
The fact that we are at war does not justify treating innocent people as criminals.
Recent Examples on the Web
In our opinion, this favorable trend justifies an upward revision of its valuation multiple.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has used constitutional maneuvers invented to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act to justify using troops to round up immigrants.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
The midfielder has arguably had to fight even harder to begin to justify the energy and expense required to bring him to Stamford Bridge two and a half years ago.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 28 June 2025
Trump has already tried to use three pretexts to usurp power — terrorism, national emergency, and war itself — to justify his mass deportations, universal tariffs, and consolidations of power.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for justify
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Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has used constitutional maneuvers invented to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act to justify using troops to round up immigrants.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
The midfielder has arguably had to fight even harder to begin to justify the energy and expense required to bring him to Stamford Bridge two and a half years ago.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 28 June 2025
Trump has already tried to use three pretexts to usurp power — terrorism, national emergency, and war itself — to justify his mass deportations, universal tariffs, and consolidations of power.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for justify
Cite this Entry
“Justify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justify. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
justify
verb
jus·ti·fy
ˈjəs-tə-ˌfī
justified; justifying
1
: to prove or show to be just, right, legal, or reasonable
2
: to release from the guilt of sin
Legal Definition
justify
verb
jus·ti·fy
ˈjəs-tə-ˌfī
justified; justifying
1
: to prove or show to be just, right, or reasonable
does not justify a denial of bail
2
: to show to have had a legally sufficient reason or cause
a defendant may not set up his own standard of conduct to justify or excuse himself—State v. Doss, 568 P.2d 1054 (1977)
State v. Doss, 568 P.2d 1054 (1977)1
: to show a legally sufficient reason for an act
2
: to swear an oath as to the ownership of sufficient property
they shall justify in an amount no less than $200—Oregon Revised Statutes
Oregon Revised Statutes
also
: to qualify as a surety by swearing such an oath
the defendants sought to justify as bail —State v. Blaisdell, 253 A.2d 341 (1969)
State v. Blaisdell, 253 A.2d 341 (1969) Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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