Justify

Meaning

Justify means to give a good or acceptable reason for something, especially an action or decision. It can also mean to show that something is reasonable, necessary, or correct.

Pronunciation

/ˈdʒʌs.tɪ.faɪ/

Word Forms

• Base form: justify
• Past tense: justified
• Past participle: justified
• Present participle: justifying
• Noun: justification
• Adjective: justifiable
• Adverb: justifiably

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

• justify a decision — to provide reasons explaining why a decision was reasonable or necessary.
• justify an action — to give reasons showing why an action was acceptable.
• justify the cost — to show that something is valuable enough to make its price reasonable.
• justify one's behavior — to give reasons explaining or defending one's actions.
• justify a claim — to provide evidence or reasons supporting a claim.
• fully justify — to provide enough evidence or reasoning to make something completely reasonable or acceptable.

Example Sentences

• He tried to justify his decision by explaining what had happened.
• Nothing can justify treating another person that way.
• The evidence does not justify such a strong conclusion.
• She had to justify the additional expense to her manager.
• He struggled to justify his actions even to himself.

Literary Example

Example:

“To justify the ways of God to men.”

— John Milton, Paradise Lost

Here, justify means to explain or defend something in a way that demonstrates its reasonableness or correctness. Milton presents the poem as an attempt to explain God's justice to humanity.

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