justificatoryadj.
/ˌdʒʌstᵻfᵻˈkeɪt(ə)ri/, /dʒʌˈstɪfᵻkət(ə)ri/, /ˈdʒʌstᵻfᵻˌkeɪt(ə)ri/, U.S. /dʒəˈstɪfəkəˌtɔri/, /ˈdʒəstəfəˌkeɪdəri/ 1. That provides justification; having the effect or purpose of justifying something.
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > duty or obligation > moral or legal constraint > immunity or exemption from liability > justification > [adjective] > justifying
justifying1526
justificatory1563
justificative1611
justifical1646
legitimating1821
1563 J. Foxe Actes & Monuments 1094/1 Next foloweth the matter iustificatory exhibited by the saide byshop, in defence of hys owne cause.
1579 G. Fenton tr. F. Guicciardini Hist. Guicciardin xvi. 950 To these the Duke of Sesso replyed with reasons iustificatorie, that as themperour had alwayes a sinceare and vprighte intention: So he assured that [etc.].
1691 A. Wood Athenæ Oxonienses II. 355 Printed at Amsterdam, with a justificatory preface.
1720 J. Chamberlayne tr. G. Brandt Hist. Reformation (new ed.) I. vii. 205 This Agreement or Pacification, having been since so ill observed on the Spaniards side, has by some been counted one of the justificatory causes of taking up arms against the King.
1820 Niles' Weekly Reg. 20 May 215/1 It is..not possible to assign reasons more powerful, or more completely justificatory of the sovereign resolution of the king.
1860 A. L. Windsor Ethica vii. 344 A man..almost sarcastically justificatory of the claims of self-interest.
1876 G. Bancroft Hist. U.S. (rev. ed.) III. vii. 109 The Newcastle administration..summarily condemned the colony by rejecting its loyal justificatory address to the king.
1949 Sewanee Rev. 57 175 Mr. Hull and Roosevelt had their justificatory formulae.
1990 Nation (N.Y.) 30 Apr. 608/2 There is no longer an intellectually responsible ruling idea of Americanism, a fully acceptable formulation of this justificatory national purpose.
2. Serving or intended to support a statement, etc.; providing supporting evidence.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > testing > attestation, witness, evidence > [adjective] > serving to support or confirm
cited?1555
justificative1611
confirmatory1636
confirmative1641
argumentative1642
confirming1661
affirmative1702
supporting1763
supportive1771
justificatory1779
1779 E. Gibbon Vindic. Hist. Decline & Fall Rom. Empire 68 Mr. Davis has..suppressed one of the justificatory Notes on this passage.
1836 Penny Cycl. V. 269/1 In 1752 followed a justificatory tract on several disputed points.
1847 J. Bunting in B. Gregory Side Lights Confl. Meth. (1898) 414 Some explanations are very palliatory but not justificatory.
1919 Musical Q. 5 79 He adjoined justificatory documents which testified to his perfect civicism.
1991 W. P. Alston Perceiving God (1993) viii. 300 A belief can receive a significant amount of justification from a certain source but still profit from justificatory additions from other sources.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1563