Justify
/ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ/
Definitions
2 meaningsTo prove or show something to be right, reasonable, or valid.
/ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ/
To show or prove to be right or reasonable.
He justified his decision with solid evidence.
💡 Simply: When you *justify* something, you're giving a good reason for why you did it or why it's okay. Like if you're late for dinner, you might *justify* it by saying you were helping someone.
👶 For kids: To explain why something is right or okay.
More Examples
The company tried to justify the price increase by highlighting improved services.
Can you justify your absence from the meeting?
How It's Used
"The lawyer justified the client's actions by arguing self-defense."
"She justified her late arrival by explaining the traffic."
To align text in a document to the left, right, or center.
/ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ/
To align text to the left, right, or center of a page or document.
Please justify the text so it's aligned on both margins.
💡 Simply: In a document, when you *justify* text, you're arranging it to look organized, like aligning the edges of your words neatly on a page.
👶 For kids: To make words line up nicely on a page.
More Examples
Most word processors allow you to justify paragraphs easily.
The designer decided to fully justify the heading for a cleaner look.
How It's Used
"The editor asked me to justify the text in the final version."
"You can justify the paragraphs for a more formal look."
Idioms & expressions
justify your means
To defend your methods or actions, especially when they are controversial.
"The company had to justify their means after the scandal."
From Middle English justifien, from Old French justifier, from Late Latin iūstificāre ('to make just'), from Latin iūstus ('just').
Historically, "justify" was used in religious contexts, referring to being made righteous in the eyes of God. Its broader use evolved to encompass other areas where one's actions or beliefs needed to be proven reasonable.
Memory tip
Imagine a judge (just) making things right and valid (justify).
Word Origin
"just, righteous, fair"