Vindication

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /vɪndɪˈkeɪʃən/

Definitions

1. The act of proving that someone or something is right, reasonable, or justified after being doubted or criticized
2. The process of demonstrating the correctness or justification of an action, belief, or individual that has faced skepticism or disapproval
3. A means of establishing the legitimacy or righteousness of a stance or person that others have questioned or challenged

Etymology: Latin "vindicare" carried a legal and violent sense: to lay claim to something, or to avenge it. A "vindex" was a claimant or protector, someone who stepped in to defend a person or cause. The Latin "vindicatio" covered avenging, defending, and punishing alike, so the same root could describe a champion who righteously punished a wrong and a lawyer who asserted ownership of disputed property. The word reached English in the late Middle Ages as "vendicacion" or "vyndicacion," meaning an assertion of a claim, and it passed through Old French, where it still carried the older sense of revenge. Only later did the idea of clearing a reputation take over. Its meaning shifted from punishing an enemy to proving someone right after doubt had been cast on them. The word is built from "vindicate," which came from the same Latin base, plus the English suffix "-ion," which turns a verb into a noun for an action or its result.

Synonyms: justification, exoneration

Antonyms: condemnation, accusation