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
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share