Justifying

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Presenting logical grounds or explanations to defend a choice or action
2. Offering sound reasoning or arguments that validate a particular belief or decision
3. Giving explanations that support why a specific action or opinion is acceptable

Etymology: "Justifying" is the present participle of "justify", so the etymology belongs to the verb itself. Its core is a Latin compound meaning "make just": Late Latin "justificare" joined "justus" ("just") with "ficare", a form of "facere" ("to make" or "to do"). The "-ify" ending in English comes from the same "facere" element, which is why "justify" sounds like "simplify" or "beautify", all built on "make" plus an adjective or noun. The word reached English through Old French "justifier", which was taken from that Late Latin form. Middle English borrowed it as "justifien", so the verb has been in the language since the Middle English period, and its earliest senses were largely legal and religious. Over time, "making something just" widened into "showing something to be right or reasonable," which is the sense in use today when someone is giving good reasons for an action.

Synonyms: defending, rationalizing, explaining, validating, supporting

Antonyms: condemning, criticizing, refuting, disproving, denying