MEANING
1. To show sufficient reasons for an action, belief, or decision.
2. To arrange text so that its edges align with one or both margins.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- justify a conclusion
- justify the expense
On the page
The available evidence did not justify the conclusion.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- justify
- Past tense
- justified
- Past participle
- justified
- Present participle
- justifying
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- justify
- Present continuous
- am/is/are justifying
- Present perfect
- have/has justified
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been justifying
- Past
- justified
- Past continuous
- was/were justifying
- Past perfect
- had justified
- Past perfect continuous
- had been justifying
- Future
- will justify
- Future continuous
- will be justifying
- Future perfect
- will have justified
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been justifying
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: analysis / argumentation / evidence. Forms: justify; justifies; justified; justified; justifying Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: justifies.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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