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justify

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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionaryjus·ti·fy \ˈjəs-tə-ˌfī\ verb (-fied ; -fy·ing) ETYMOLOGY Middle English justifien, from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French justifier, from Late Latin justificare, from Latin justus DATE 14th centurytransitive verb1. a. to prove or show to be just, right, or reasonable b. (1) to show to have had a sufficient legal reason (2) to qualify (oneself) as a surety by taking oath to the ownership of sufficient property2. a. archaic : to administer justice to b. archaic : absolve c. to judge, regard, or treat as righteous and worthy of salvation3. a. to space (as lines of text) so that the lines come out even at the margin b. to make even by justifying justified marginsintransitive verb1. a. to show a sufficient lawful reason for an act done b. to qualify as bail or surety2. to justify lines of textSynonyms: see maintain• jus·ti·fi·er \-ˌfī(-ə)r\ nounEnglish Etymologyjustify c.1300, "to administer justice," also "to show (something) to be just or right," from O.Frhttp://O.Fr. justifer, from L. justificare "act justly toward, make just," from justificus "dealing justly, righteous," from justus "just" (see just (adj.)) + root of facere "to do" (see factitious). Meaning "to make exact" (now largely restricted to typesetting) is from 1551.Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7☞ justifyjus·tify / 5dVQstifai / verb(jus·ti·fies, jus·ti·fy·ing, jus·ti·fied, jus·ti·fied)1. to show that sb / sth is right or reasonable 证明…正确(或正当、有理): ▪ [V -ing] How can they justify paying such huge salaries? 他们怎能证明付这么大笔薪金是正当的呢？ ▪ [VN] Her success had justified the faith her teachers had put in her. 她的成功证明了老师对她的信任是正确的。 ▪ [also VN -ing] 2. ~ sth / yourself (to sb) to give an explanation or excuse for sth or for doing sth 对…作出解释；为…辩解(或辩护) SYN defend : ▪ [VN] The Prime Minister has been asked to justify the decision to Parliament. 要求首相就这一决定向议会作出解释。 You don't need to justify yourself to me. 你不必向我解释你的理由。 ▪ [also V -ing , VN -ing] 3. [VN] (technical 术语) to arrange lines of printed text so that six or both edges are straight 调整使全行排满；使每行排齐；使齐行 IDIOMS ⇨ see end n.Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of EnglishOxford Collocations dictionary for students of Englishjustify verb ADV. really, truly Can you really justify the destruction of such a fine old building? | hardly The meagre result hardly justified the risks they took to get it. VERB + JUSTIFY can/could | attempt to, seek to, try to | need to | be difficult to, be hard to He found it very difficult to justify his decision. PREP. on the grounds of/that The decision is justified on the grounds that there is no realistic alternative. | to How will you justify this pay cut to your employees? Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus-11th Editionv. Function: verb 1 Synonyms: MAINTAIN 2, argue, assert, claim, contend, defend, vindicate, warrant Related Words: demonstrate, prove; back, support, uphold Contrasted Words: confute, disprove, refute 2 Synonyms: CONFIRM 2, authenticate, bear out, corroborate, substantiate, validate, verify 3 Synonyms: EXPLAIN 3, account, explain away, rationalize Related Words: extenuate, gloss, gloze, palliate, whitewash Contrasted Words: accuse, arraign, incriminate, indict; blame, condemn, denounce 4 to constitute sufficient grounds FF1C;thought the storm warning justified his leaving earlyFF1E; Synonyms: warrant Related Words: allow, permit; approve, authorize, sanctionWebster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridgedjus·ti·fy\ˈjəstəˌfī\ verb(-ed/-ing/-s)Etymology: Middle English justifien, from Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French justifier, from Old French, from Late Latin justificare, from Latin justus just + -ficare -fy — more at justtransitive verb1. a. (1) : to prove or show to be just, desirable, warranted, or useful :vindicate < science justifies itself when it contributes to the desire to know — Scientific American Reader > < justified to herself his every fault — Ruth Park > < most cats must justify themselves by catching mice — Charlton Laird > < justify the ways of God to man — John Milton > < undertaking to justify a single scale of rates for the entire country — Collier's Year Book > < the welcome he received justified his visit — A.R.Forde > (2) obsolete : to confirm, maintain, or acknowledge as true, lawful, or legitimate b. : to prove or show to be valid, sound, or conforming to fact or reason : furnish grounds or evidence for : confirm, support, verify < their immediate jubilant reaction has been abundantly justified by the sales — Peter Forster > < attempts to justify his definition of cartography — Geographical Journal > < insinuation of personal interest as a determining factor seems to me not justified by the facts shown — O.W.Holmes †1935 > < justified my fondest hopes — D.G.Gerahty > c. (1) : to show to have had a sufficient legal reason (as that the libel charged is true or that the trespass charged was by license of the possessor) for (an act made the subject of a charge or accusation) (2) : to qualify (oneself) as a surety by taking oath to the ownership of sufficient property2. a. archaic : to execute justice upon : administer justice to b. archaic : to pronounce free from guilt or blame : absolve < I think — or at least hope — you would have justified me — George Meredith > c. : to judge, regard, or treat as righteous, worthy of salvation, or as freed from the future penalty of sin < God justifies with his forgiveness and grace the man who comes to him — Will Herberg >3. a. : to make level and square the body of (a typefounder's strike) b. : to set to fit the measure or space closely (as a line of type, matrices, photocomposition, typewriting) or so that all full lines are of equal length and flush right and left (as typewritten matter) c. : to cause to align evenly at the bottom (as letters of different size) d. : to adjust to fit and lock up securely (set letterpress matter)intransitive verb1. a. : to show a sufficient lawful reason (as that the plaintiff consented to an act alleged to be a trespass) for an act done or not done b. : to qualify as bail or surety by taking oath to the ownership of sufficient property < the surety justified on the bail bond >2. : to accept and receive as just or righteous those who respond in wholehearted faith to God as revealed by Jesus Christ < believing with all their being that God justified through faith — John Dillenberger & Claude Welch >3. printing a. : to be capable of or susceptible of justification b. : to become justifiedSynonyms: see explain, maintain

To Justify Verb Show B Sufficient Justified Justified