“Coffee, the favorite drink of the civilized world.” – Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States
JUSTIFYING
Verb
justifying
present participle of justify
Noun
justifying (plural justifyings)
A process of justification.
Source: Wiktionary
JUSTIFY
Jus"ti*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Justified; p. pr. & vb. n. Justifying.] Etym: [F. justifier, L. justificare; justus just + - ficare (in comp.) to make. See Just, a., and -fy.]
1. To prove or show to be just; to vindicate; to maintain or defend as conformable to law, right, justice, propriety, or duty. That to the height of this great argument I may assert eternal providence, And justify the ways of God to men. Milton. Unless the oppression is so extreme as to justify revolution, it would not justify the evil of breaking up a government. E. Everett.
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. I can not justify whom the law condemns. Shak.
3. (Theol.)
Definition: To treat as if righteous and just; to pardon; to exculpate; to absolve. 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.
4. To prove; to ratify; to confirm. [Obs.] Shak.
5. (Print.)
Definition: To make even or true, as lines of type, by proper spacing; to adjust, as type. See Justification, 4.
Syn.
– To defend; maintain; vindicate; excuse; exculpate; absolve; exonerate.
Jus"ti*fy, v. i.
1. (Print.)
Definition: To form an even surface or true line with something else; to fit exactly.
2. (Law)
Definition: To take oath to the ownership of property sufficient to qualify one's self as bail or surety.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
1 June 2025
BACKFIRE
(verb) come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect; “Your comments may backfire and cause you a lot of trouble”; “the political movie backlashed on the Democrats”
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