justify

B2 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ˈd͡ʒʌstɪfaɪ/ See IPA manual

Freq #7148

Meanings

1

verb
To give a good reason for something so that it seems acceptable.

How can you justify spending so much money on clothes?
2

verb
To be a good enough reason for something.

Nothing can justify your rude behaviour last night.
3

verb
To arrange text so that the lines are even at both the left and right edges.

The text looks neater when you justify it.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

vindicate

Word family

Forms justifiedjustifiesjustifying

Derived forms dexifyjustifyinglyoverjustifyrejustifyself-justifyunjustify

Related forms just justifiable justifiably justification unjustified

Etymology

From Middle English justifien, from Old French justifier, from Late Latin justificare (“make just”), from Latin justus, iustus (“just”) + ficare (“make”), from facere, equivalent to just + -ify.

*h₂yew- Proto-Indo-European justifien Middle English justifier Old French justificare la-lat justus Latin *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

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# justify

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈd͡ʒʌstɪfaɪ/
**Frequency rank:** 7148

## Meanings
1. To give a good reason for something so that it seems acceptable.
2. To be a good enough reason for something.
3. To arrange text so that the lines are even at both the left and right edges.

## Examples
- How can you justify spending so much money on clothes?
- Nothing can justify your rude behaviour last night.
- The text looks neater when you justify it.

## Synonyms
- vindicate

## Derived Forms
- dexify
- justifyingly
- overjustify
- rejustify
- self-justify
- unjustify

## Related Forms
- just
- justifiable
- justifiably
- justification
- unjustified

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₂yew-
- Root: justifien
- Root: justifier
- Root: justificare
- Root: justus
- Root: *dʰeh₁-
- Affix: -ify - to make

## Etymology
From Middle English justifien, from Old French justifier, from Late Latin justificare (“make just”), from Latin justus, iustus (“just”) + ficare (“make”), from facere, equivalent to just + -ify.

## AI Etymology
Justify comes from Middle English justifien, from Old French justifier, from Late Latin justificare (“make just”), from Latin justus, iustus (“just”) + ficare (“make”), from facere, equivalent to just + -ify. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix. The historical line also includes *h₂yew- and *dʰeh₁-.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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justify

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