justify
gb/d͡ʒˈʌstɪfˌaɪ/ us/d͡ʒˈʌstɪfˌaɪ/
B1
English
~ 2300
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
Give reasons for actions
To explain why something is right or fair.
Usage pattern:
to justify [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'justify' with 'clarify'. 'Justify' means to prove something is right, not just to make it easier to understand.
Synonyms
defend (Emphasizes protecting an action or belief against criticism.)
|
explain (Focuses on making the reasons clear, without necessarily proving correctness.)
Antonyms
condemn (Means to strongly disapprove or denounce something as wrong.)
Collocations
justify a decision
|justify an action
|justify the cost
|justify the means
|justify oneself
Themes
communication
|law
|ethics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She tried to justify her lateness by blaming the traffic.
- The company must justify its expenses to the board.
- He couldn't justify his rude behavior to his friends.
- The teacher asked him to justify his answer with evidence.
Learner examples
- I can justify my choice.
- She justified her actions.
- They justified the high price.
- He justified being late.
- You must justify your opinion.
Verb
technical
B2
action
2
Align text margins
To change writing so the sides are straight on both left and right.
Usage pattern:
to justify [text]
Common mistake:
Some learners think 'justify' in this context means to explain something; here it is about formatting text.
Synonyms
align (A broader term for arranging elements in line; not limited to text.)
Antonyms
rag (In typography, to leave one margin uneven.)
Collocations
fully justify text
|left justify
|right justify
|justify paragraphs
Themes
technology
|design
|printing
|communication
Examples
- Please justify the text so it looks neat.
- The designer decided to fully justify the paragraphs.
- Left-justified text is easier to read online than fully justified text.
Learner examples
- I will justify the text.
- The book has justified pages.
- Please justify this paragraph.
Grammar
Dictionary form
justify
IPA
GB/d͡ʒˈʌstɪfˌaɪ/
US/d͡ʒˈʌstɪfˌaɪ/
Syllables & stress
jus - ti - fy (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (jus)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: justify
- 3rd Person Singular: justifies
- Present Participle: justifying
- Past: justified
Word family
Forms
justifies
verb
justifying
verb
justified
verb
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
unjustified
adjective
unjustifiable
adjective
unjustifiably
adverb
Expressions
justify oneself
1/d͡ʒˈʌstɪfˌaɪ wˌʌnsˈɛlf/
fixed phrase
Explain own actions
To explain why you did something so people do not think it was wrong.
Examples
- She felt she had to justify herself after the criticism.
- He quickly justified himself when asked about the delay.
justify the means
1/d͡ʒˈʌstɪfˌaɪ ðə mˈinz/
fixed phrase
Make methods acceptable by results
To say that the way something was done is okay because of the good result.
Examples
- They believe the ends justify the means in politics.
- He argued that saving lives justifies the means used.