justify

verb

/ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they justify	/ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ/ /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪ/
he / she / it justifies	/ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪz/ /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪz/
past simple justified	/ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪd/ /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪd/
past participle justified	/ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪd/ /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪd/
-ing form justifying	/ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪɪŋ/ /ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪɪŋ/

Idioms

jump to other results

to show that somebody/something is right or reasonable证明…正确（或正当、有理）
- justify doing something How can they justify paying such huge salaries?他们怎能证明付这么大笔薪金是正当的呢？
- justify somebody/something doing something The results of the inquiry did not justify them departing from their existing policy.调查结果并不能证明他们偏离现行政策是合理的。
- justify something Her success had justified the faith her teachers had put in her.她的成功证明了老师对她的信任是正确的。
Extra Examples
- Can you really justify the destruction of such a fine old building?你确实能为毁坏这样一幢精美的古建筑找出正当的解释吗？
- The decision is justified on the grounds that there is no realistic alternative.既然没有其他现实的选择，这个决定便是合理的。
- The events that followed served to justify our earlier decision.后来发生的事件证明我们先前的决定是合理的。
- The extra effort involved would go a long way in helping to justify their high price tags.他们的额外付出对证明其高价的合理性是极有帮助的。
- The meagre result hardly justified the risks they took to get it.那不尽人意的结果难以证明他们所冒的风险是值得的。
- The university could not easily justify spending the money on this.这所大学很难为此项花销作出合理的解释。
- It would be difficult for an employer to justify dismissing someone on those grounds.雇主很难以此为由解雇某人。
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- really
- truly
- easily
- …
verb + justify
- can
- serve to
- appear to
- …
preposition
- on the grounds of something
- on the grounds that…
- to
- …
See full entry
to give an explanation or excuse for something or for doing something对…作出解释；为…辩解（或辩护） synonym defend
- justify something/yourself The senator made an attempt to justify his actions.参议员试图为自己的行为辩护。
- justify something/yourself to somebody The Prime Minister has been asked to justify the decision to Parliament.首相被要求就这一决定向议会解释。
- You don't need to justify yourself to me.你不必向我解释你的理由。
- justify doing something He sought to justify taking these measures by citing the threat of a terrorist attack.他试图以恐怖袭击的威胁为由为采取这些措施辩护。
- justify somebody/something doing something The press release was intended to justify them sacking her.新闻稿旨在证明他们解雇她是正当的。
Extra Examples
- He found it very difficult to justify his decision.他觉得很难为自己的决定作出合理解释。
- Can you justify that accusation?你能证明那个指控是正确的吗？
- How will you justify this pay cut to your employees?你将如何向员工们证明这次减薪是合理的？
justify something (specialist) to arrange lines of printed text so that one or both edges are straight将（打印的字行）调整为边缘对齐

Word OriginMiddle English (in the senses ‘administer justice to’ and ‘inflict a judicial penalty on’): from Old French justifier, from Christian Latin justificare ‘do justice to’, from Latin justus, from jus ‘law, right’.

Idioms

the end justifies the means

(saying) bad or unfair methods of doing something are acceptable if the result of that action is good or positive只要目的正当，可以不择手段
- He defended a morality in which the end justifies the means.他为不择手段达到正当目的的道德观进行辩护。
- That's only OK if you believe that the end justifies the means.除非你认为只要目的正确可以不择手段，不然那是不可以接受的。