justify
verb OPAL W
/ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ/
/ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ/
Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they justify | /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ/ /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ/ |
| he / she / it justifies | /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪz/ /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪz/ |
| past simple justified | /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪd/ /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪd/ |
| past participle justified | /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪd/ /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪd/ |
| -ing form justifying | /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪɪŋ/ /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪɪŋ/ |
- to show that somebody/something is right or reasonable
- justify doing something How can they justify paying such huge salaries?
- justify somebody/something doing something The results of the inquiry did not justify them departing from their existing policy.
- justify something Her success had justified the faith her teachers had put in her.
Extra Examples- Can you really justify the destruction of such a fine old building?
- The decision is justified on the grounds that there is no realistic alternative.
- The events that followed served to justify our earlier decision.
- The extra effort involved would go a long way in helping to justify their high price tags.
- The meagre result hardly justified the risks they took to get it.
- The university could not easily justify spending the money on this.
- It would be difficult for an employer to justify dismissing someone on those grounds.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- really
- truly
- easily
- …
- can
- serve to
- appear to
- …
- on the grounds of something
- on the grounds that…
- to
- …
- to give an explanation or excuse for something or for doing something synonym defend
- justify something/yourself The senator made an attempt to justify his actions.
- justify something/yourself to somebody The Prime Minister has been asked to justify the decision to Parliament.
- You don't need to justify yourself to me.
- justify doing something He sought to justify taking these measures by citing the threat of a terrorist attack.
- justify somebody/something doing something The press release was intended to justify them sacking her.
Extra Examples- He found it very difficult to justify his decision.
- Can you justify that accusation?
- How will you justify this pay cut to your employees?
- justify something (specialist) to arrange lines of printed text so that one or both edges are straight
Word OriginMiddle English (in the senses ‘administer justice to’ and ‘inflict a judicial penalty on’): from Old French justifier, from Christian Latin justificare ‘do justice to’, from Latin justus, from jus ‘law, right’.
Idioms
the end justifies the means
- (saying) bad or unfair methods of doing something are acceptable if the result of that action is good or positive
- He defended a morality in which the end justifies the means.
- That's only OK if you believe that the end justifies the means.