释义 |
vindicate, v.|ˈvɪndɪkeɪt| Also 6–7 as pa. pple. [f. L. vindicāt-, ppl. stem of vindicāre (also vendicāre: see vendicate v.) to claim, to set free, to punish, etc., f. vim, acc. sing. of vis force + dic-, stem of dīcĕre to say. Cf. It. vindicare, Sp. and Pg. vindicar, F. vendiquer.] †1. trans. a. To exercise in revenge. Obs.—1
1533Bellenden Livy (S.T.S.) II. 326 Praying þam to provid þat þe peple vindicat na Ire nor wraith [altered to vse na vengeance nor punycioun] on þam. †b. To avenge or revenge (a person, cause, wrong, etc.). Obs.
1623Cockeram i, Vindicate, to reuenge. 1655Stanley Hist. Philos. i. (1687) 17/2 Solon declared, that it behoved them..that they should vindicate the Gods cause. 1660N. Ingelo Bentiv. & Ur. ii. (1682) 164 Resolving by God's assistance to vindicate his Wrongs. 1665Sir T. Herbert Trav. (1677) 67 News..being brought King Achbar that Mirza Sharoph..had been injured by the Ouzbeg Tartar; the King resolves to vindicate him. 1713Swift Cadenus & Vanessa Wks. 1755 III. ii. 18 But Cupid, full of mischief, longs To vindicate his mother's wrongs. †c. To punish; to visit with punishment. Obs.
1632Lithgow Trav. viii. 367 There are seuerall Seates of Iustice heere (though none to vindicate beastlinesse). 1659Pearson Creed i. 86 God is more powerfull to exact subiection, and to vindicate rebellion. 1665Manley Grotius' Low C. Wars 974 Private Trespasses should be vindicated upon the Authors thereof themselves, or else where they lived. 1770Burke Pres. Discont. 8 Because our grievances are..not precisely those which we bore from the Tudors, or vindicated on the Stuarts. †2. To make or set free; to deliver or rescue. Usually const. from. Obs. (common 1620–60).
1568–71(title), The Warkis of..Schir Dauid Lyndesay... Newly correctit, and vindicate from the former Errouris quhairwith thay war befoir corruptit. 1570Buchanan Admon. Wks. (S.T.S.) 22 How ȝe haue vindicat this realme out of thraldome of strangearis. 1613Sir A. Sherley Trav. Persia 85 Nothing will giue you more honour then..First to vindicate those places, in which your religion is oppressed. 1620–51I. Jones Stone-Heng (1655) 2 To vindicate, as much as in me lies, the Founders of this venerable Antiquity from oblivion. 1650Ashmole Arcanum in Fasc. Chem. 166 A faithfull..Teacher, that may make the clear Sun conspicuous unto them, and vindicate their eies from darknesse. 1665Needham Med. Medicinæ 267 The Liquor ferments, and is vindicated from Putrefaction and Stagnation. 1756Burke Vind. Nat. Soc. Wks. 1842 I. 21 We should renounce their dreams of society, together with their visions of religion, and vindicate ourselves into perfect liberty. 1761Hume Hist. Eng. I. xiii. 328 His successful valour seemed to vindicate the nation from the ignominy into which it had fallen by its tame submission. absol.1628Gaule Pract. The. (1629) 110 Cæsar vindicates from a knowne Enemie; Christ redeemes from a secret Aduersarie. 3. To clear from censure, criticism, suspicion, or doubt, by means of demonstration; to justify or uphold by evidence or argument.
a1635Naunton Fragm. Reg. (Arb.) 61 And so I shall onely vindicate the scandall of his death, and conclude him. 1651Baxter Inf. Bapt. 150 O that God would find out some way to vindicate his own honor, and clear his cause. 1691Langbaine Acc. Eng. Poets Pref., I might be capable of doing them better Service, in vindicating their Fame. 1736Butler Anal. ii. viii. 389 The design of this treatise is not to vindicate the character of God. 1776Sir J. Reynolds Disc. (1778) 280 Poussin..is said to have vindicated the conduct of Julio Romano for his inattention to the masses of light and shade. 1782F. Burney Cecilia v. ii, I don't mean to vindicate what has happened. 1817Jas. Mill Brit. India I. ii. ix. 413 Mr. Playfair admits that the Indian tables cannot be entirely vindicated in this respect. 1855Macaulay Hist. Eng. xvii. IV. 75 Those who had effected this Revolution thought it prudent to send a deputation to France for the purpose of vindicating their proceedings. 1884L'pool Mercury 18 Feb. 5/2 He has no secret treaties to vindicate, no occult motives to gloss over in dubious pleadings. b. With personal object.
1646Crashaw Steps to Temple, Treatise Charity 13 These learned leaves shall vindicate to thee Thy holiest, humblest, hand-maid Charitie. 1659in Burton's Diary (1828) IV. 338, I rise up to vindicate the Committee. 1675Baxter Cath. Theol. ii. ii. 238, I must be so far justified, that is, vindicated against Calumny by my innocency in those points. 1702C. Mather Magn. Chr. iii. iii. (1852) 536 The mention of this gives me an opportunity..also to vindicate another great man unto the churches of our Lord Jesus Christ. refl.1639Massinger Unnat. Combat iv. i, The torch that feeds them was not lighted at Thy altars, Cupid. Vindicate thyself, And do not own it! a1648Ld. Herbert Hen. VIII (1683) 232 It was thought, by some, he might haue Vindicated himself in great part. 1679J. Smith Narr. Popish Plot 19 There being no way left to vindicate themselves, or discredit their Accusers, save the making their recourse to lies. 1828D'Israeli Chas. I, II. v. 130 He could have vindicated himself, if his enemies had chosen to be his listeners. 1849Macaulay Hist. Eng. v. I. 661 The wicked judge and the wicked king attempted to vindicate themselves by throwing the blame on each other. c. Const. from (a charge, imputation, etc.).
1664H. More Apol. in Myst. Iniq. 487 Those more notable Philosophick Truths in the Scripture doth..vindicate her from that vile Imputation of Ignorance in Philosophy. 1675J. Howe Living Temple i. ii. 20 He makes Velleius highly vindicate from this imputation. 1700Locke Hum. Und. (ed. 4) iv. viii. 367 But how that vindicates the making use of Identical Propositions for the Improvement of Knowledge, from the Imputation of Trifling, I do not see. 1723J. Dart Westmonasterium I. 87 This I here mention to vindicate my self from those Mistakes of which I am not guilty. 1798Ferriar Illustr. Sterne, etc. 37, I must vindicate Sterne from a charge of plagiarism. 1825Scott Betrothed xxix, When he vindicated him from the suspicions thrown out by Guarine. 1845M. Pattison Ess. (1889) I. 18 He turned all his defence to vindicate himself from the charge of treason. 1891Speaker 2 May 526/2 It is..the first serious attempt that has been made to vindicate Horace Walpole from the aspersions of Macaulay and his followers. d. To provide justification for (something); to justify by facts or results. Also with personal object.
1702Farquhar Twin Rivals iv. iv, For Heav'n's sake, Mr. Richmore, what have I ever shewn to vindicate this presumption of yours? 1749Fielding Tom Jones v. vi, The infidelity of Molly..would perhaps have vindicated a much greater degree of resentment than he expressed on the occasion. a1763Shenstone Ess. Wks. 1765 II. 203 One should not destroy an insect..without a reason sufficient to vindicate one through all the courts of morality. 1836J. Gilbert Christian Atonem. vii. (1852) 205 The mere fact of voluntariness is insufficient to vindicate the justice of allowing the assumed responsibility. 1882C. Pebody Eng. Journalism xx. 150 No man has more brilliantly vindicated the sagacity which placed him in a position of power and responsibility. 4. To assert, maintain, make good, by means of action, esp. in one's own interest; to defend against encroachment or interference.
1650Marvell Horatian Ode 62 He nothing common did, or mean,..Nor called the gods with vulgar spite To vindicate his helpless right. 1654Bramhall Just Vind. i. (1661) 4 That..they..vindicate that liberty left them as an inheritance by their Ancestours, from the incroachments..of the Court of Rome. 1671Milton P.R. ii. 47 Arise and vindicate Thy Glory, free thy people from thir yoke. 1738Wesley Ps. lxxx. ii, Stir up thy Strength, thine Arme make bare, And vindicate thy chosen Race. 1777Robertson Hist. Amer. vi. (1778) 196 He thought the happy period was at length come for vindicating his own rights. 1821Syd. Smith Wks. (1859) I. 394/2 Prevention of intrusion upon private property is a right which every proprietor may act upon, and use force to vindicate. 1875Stubbs Const. Hist. II. 4 The liberties of the nation are not yet vindicated. 5. To claim as properly belonging to oneself or another; to assert or establish possession of (something) for oneself or another.
1680Dryden Ovid's Ep. Pref., Ess. (ed. Ker) I. 235 It appears not from their writings, that any of the Grecians ever touched upon this way, which our poet therefore justly has vindicated to himself. 1737Gentl. Mag. VII. 332 Though Christ's Appeal to the 110th vindicates that Psalm to David, it vindicates none else. 1822T. Taylor Apuleius 218 Exciting a frivolous controversy about the boundaries of the fields, he vindicated the whole of the land to himself. 1855Prescott Philip II, i. (1857) 76 Paul the Fourth, one of those remarkable men, who..have vindicated to themselves a permanent place in history. 1858Hawthorne Fr. & It. Note-bks. II. 42 Grand enough to vindicate for him all the genius that the world gave him credit for. 1884Schaff's Encycl. Relig. Knowl. III. 2466/1 Robert Flint..vindicates him [sc. Voltaire] an honorable place in the development of the philosophy of history. b. Without const.: To claim for oneself or as one's rightful property.
1725Pope Odyss. iv. 224 Affianc'd in your friendly power alone, The youth wou'd vindicate the vacant throne. 1733― Ess. Man iii. 38 Is thine alone the seed that strews the plain? The birds of heav'n shall vindicate their grain. 1781Cowper Truth 490 The soul..Can..Possess herself of all that's good or true, Assert the skies, and vindicate her due. 1807J. Barlow Columb. iii. 850 The wide-beak'd hawk, that now beholds me die, Soon..my flesh shall tear, And wolves and tigers vindicate their share. c. spec. in Law. Also absol.
a1859Austin Jurispr. (1863) III. 207 A right to vindicate or recover the subject from any who may be in the possession of it. 1880Muirhead Rules Ulpian xxv. §17 The senate has decreed that he shall not be entitled to deduct his fourth, nor yet..to vindicate gifts under the testament that have become caducous. 1880― Gaius ii. §24 When he has thus vindicated, the praetor asks the cedent whether he makes any counter-vindication. Hence ˈvindicated ppl. a.; ˈvindicating vbl. n. and ppl. a.; ˈvindicatingly adv.
1624Gataker Transubst. 42 The vindicating of this piece of antiquity to his right Author. 1642Drummond of Hawthornden Skiamachia Wks. (1711) 191 The equity of his taking of arms, for the vindicating of his crown and state from the implacable malice of those men. 1700Prior Carm. Sec. xv, To rescu'd States, and vindicated Crowns His Equal Hand prescrib'd their ancient Bounds. 1724A. Shields Life Renwick (1827) 177 Instead of a reproached Minister, we got a vindicated Martyr. 1850Mrs. Browning Sonn. fr. Portuguese xi, I obtain From that same love this vindicating grace, To live on still in love. 1891Meredith One of our Conq. xii, Her mother required schooling to tell the story vindicatingly and proudly. |