v. [a. F. justifier (12th c. in Godef., Compl.), ad. late (chiefly eccl.) L. jūstificāre to act justly towards, do justice to, make just, pardon, vindicate, f. jūst-us JUST: see -FY.]
† 1. trans. To administer justice to; to try as a judge, to judge; to have jurisdiction over, rule, control, keep in order; to do justice to, treat justly. b. absol. To administer justice, to judge. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 150 (Gött.). Of salomon þe wise, Hou craftili he did iustifie.
13[?]. St. Erkenwolde, 229, in Horstm., Altengl. Leg. (1881), 271. I iustifiet þis ioly toun … more þene fourty wynter.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XIX. 44. Þe iewes he iustified & tauȝte hem Þe lawe of lyf.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 379. Hem [i.e., Clergy] oughte wel to justefie Thing, which belongith to here cure, As forto praie.
1449. Sc. Acts Jas. II. (1814), 36/2. Þat al Regaliteis … be … iustifit be the kingis Justice, quhil þai remayn in þe kingis handis.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon., ii. (1885), 112. Thai … ordenyd the same reaume to be ruled and justified by suche lawes as thai all wolde assent vnto.
1581. Lambarde, Eiren., III. ii. (1588), 338. Them that undertake for the partie, that he shall abide to be justified by law.
1620. J. Wilkinson, Coroners & Sherifes, 12. [The Statute] giveth power to Forresters, Parkers, and Warreners to kill the offendors if they will not be justified.
† 2. trans. To execute justice upon (a malefactor); to condemn to punishment; to punish, esp. (Sc.) to punish with death, execute. Obs.
a. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 5987. Fadirs and modirs sal rekken þat tyde … And loverdes alswa of þair men … Þe whilk þai wald noght iustify.
c. 1450. Lonelich, Grail, xvi. 318. Thanne Axede him Nasciens … Whi that so sore Iustefyed he were.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 353. To iustefie and punishe them for their offenses.
c. 1575. Balfour’s Practicks (1754), 596. Thay beand swa convict, sall be justifyit to the deid thairfoir.
1700. Collier, 2nd Def. Short View (1738), 399. In Scotland they say when a Man is hanged he’s justified.
1820. Byron, Mar. Fal., V. i. 94. Let them be justified; and leave exposed Their wavering relics in the place of judgment.
1860. C. Innes, Scotl. in Mid. Ages, vi. 182. The murderer taken red-hand … was ‘justified’ … without any unnecessary or inconvenient delays of process.
3. To show (a person or action) to be just or in the right; to prove or maintain the righteousness or innocence of; to vindicate († from a charge).
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 699. Non lyuyande to þe is Iustyfyet.
1382. Wyclif, Ps. l. 6 [li. 4]. That thou be iustefied in thi woordis, and ouercome whan thou art demed.
c. 1450. trans. De Imitatione, III. xxix. 99. Þou … iustifiest me in all my disposicions.
1535. Coverdale, Ecclus. vii. 5. Iustifie not thy self before God.
1600. E. Blount, trans. Conestaggio, 224. Some of his friendes laboured to iustifie him.
1707. Curios. in Husb. & Gard., 119. Justifying them from any Objections that might be made against them.
1868. M. Pattison, Acad. Org., v. 148. We have no longer the difficult task of justifying science in the eyes of the nation.
absol. 1647. N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., I. xxxvi. (1739), 53. Neither Monk, Woman, nor Clerk was by Law to justify by Battle in their own person.
b. Of a state of things, circumstance or motive: To afford a justification of. (Often in passive.)
1635. A. Stafford, Fem. Glory (1869), 82. The profane Idolatrizing of this Superlative Saint, will iustifie me in all eyes.
1709. Atterbury, Spittal Serm., Luke x. 32. The publick burthens … will not justify us in giving nothing.
1775. Burke, Sp. Concil. Amer., Wks. III. 102. I think then I am … justified in the sixth and last resolution.
1860. Dickens, Uncomm. Trav., xvi. The pair have a dejected consciousness that they are not justified in appearing on the surface of the earth.
4. To absolve, acquit, exculpate; spec. in Theol., to declare free from the penalty of sin on the ground of Christ’s righteousness, or to make inherently righteous by the infusion of grace: see JUSTIFICATION 4. Also absol.
1382. Wyclif, Isa. v. 23. Wo … that iustefien the vnpitous for ȝiftes. Ibid., Rom. iii. 26. That he be iust, and iustifyinge him that is of the feith of Ihesu Crist. Ibid., 28. Forsothe we demen a man for to be iustifyed by feith, withouten workis of lawe.
1526. Tindale, Rom. iv. 25. Jesus … Which was delivered for oure synnes, and rose agayne forto iustifye vs.
1535. Coverdale, Exod. xxiii. 7. The innocent and righteous shalt thou not sley, for I iustifie not ye vngodly.
1550. Veron, Godly Sayings (1846), 15. For say they … yf the Sacramente dothe not iustyfye, & brynge grace of itselfe, then it is but bare breade & wyne.
a. 1620. Donne, 2nd Serm. John xvi. 8. Only thy good life can assure thy conscience and the world, that thou art justified.
a. 1740. Waterland, Doctr. Justification, iv. God … has made no promise or covenant to justify any one without the use of Baptism.
1859. J. Cumming, Ruth, viii. 138. It is the office of Jesus to pardon, to justify, to welcome.
5. To make good (an argument, statement or opinion); to confirm or support by attestation or evidence; to corroborate, prove, verify, † Formerly with complementary obj., obj. and inf., or subord. clause. (Now colored by 6.)
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 140. Rethoriqes eloquences … Wherof a man schal justifie Hise wordes in disputeisoun.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., V. civ. 79. So that I myght somwhat iustifie my reporte by some Auctour of Auctorite.
1559. in Strype, Ann. Ref. (1824), I. II. App. xi. 34. This shalbe justified owt of Irenæus.
1600. Shaks., Temp., V. i. 128. Were I so minded, I heere could … iustifie you Traitors.
a. 1680. Butler, Rem. (1759), I. 41. For who can justify, that Nature there Is ty’d to the same Laws, she acts by here?
1732. Berkeley, Alciphr., V. § 33. He justified the notion to be innocent.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xxvi. (1869), II. 11. The narratives of antiquity are justified by the experience of modern times.
1884. Manch. Exam., 6 May, 5/3. It would be hard to justify this particular assertion by an appeal to facts.
† b. To maintain as true, affirm, aver. Obs.
1579–80. North, Plutarch, Marius (1676), 353. The which would not be beleeved … for the uncredible force and Power of the Armies which was justified to come.
1658. Osborn, Q. Eliz. (1673), 461. An Inquisition … which a Cursiter did about that time justifie he had inrolled.
1781. W. Blane, Ess. Hunting (1788), 71. The Doctor … to this day relates and justifies the truth of every circumstance I have mentioned.
† c. To acknowledge as true or genuine. Obs.
1608. Shaks., Per., V. i. 219. She shall tell thee all; When thou shalt kneele, and justifie in knowledge, She is thy verie Princes.
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, XV. 110. The great God had a son, Whom he himself yet justifies.
6. To show or maintain the justice or reasonableness of (an action, claim, etc.); to adduce adequate grounds for; to defend as right or proper.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 7. He aunswered, that he woulde iustifye that, that he had done, eyther in present disputation, or by writinge.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., II. iii. How can they justify to have turned their domestic privileges into the bar of a proud judicial court? Ibid. (1667), P. L., I. 26. That … I may assert th’ eternal Providence, And justifie the wayes of God to men.
1704. Penn, in Pa. Hist. Soc. Mem., IX. 357. I justify not my son’s folly.
1884. F. Temple, Relat. Relig. & Sci., v. (1885), 155. All who thus claim supernatural authority must, of course, justify their claim.
b. To make right, proper or reasonable; to furnish adequate grounds for, warrant.
1658. Bramhall, Consecr. Bps., iii. 48. This very necessity had … iustified the Act.
1718. Prior, Hans Carvel, 67. The end must justifie the means; He only sins who ill intends.
1732. Arbuthnot, Rules of Diet, 419. Those Reasons seem to justify Bleeding.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., IV. 309. ’Tis guilt alone can justify his death.
1813. Scott, Rokeby, I. viii. Much in the stranger’s mien appears, To justify suspicious fears.
1891. Speaker, 2 May, 526/2. The vast circle of his readers justified his complacency by their applause.
† c. To render lawful or legitimate. Obs.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxii. 117. Whatsoever is commanded by the Soveraign Power, is as to the Subject … justified by the Command.
1725. Pope, Odyss., VI. 346. Till … public nuptials justify the bride.
7. Law. intr. and trans. a. To show or maintain sufficient reason in court for doing that which one is called upon to answer for; to show adequate grounds for (that with which one is charged).
1529. Act 21 Hen. VIII., c. 19 § 2. The Lorde … may avowe or his Baylyffe or servaunt make conysaunce or justifye for takyng of the said dystresses upon the same landes … alegyng in the said avourie conysaunce and justificacyon the same Maners Landes and Tenementes to be holdin of hym.
1591. Child-Marriages, 150. The said Smith … did arreste the said Roger Dod … and beinge charged to be a wronge, and contrary to the liberties and charters of this citie, iustifieth to be lawfull.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. xiv. 429. A master likewise may justify an assault in defence of his servant, and a servant in defence of his master.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), II. 258. If a man be impeached for beating another, he may justify by showing it was done in his own necessary defence: if for false imprisonment, he may justify under the warrant of a lawful magistrate.
1893. Weekly Notes, 67/2. The appellant could not justify his attempt to force an entrance, and was rightly convicted of an assault.
b. To justify († oneself) as bail, to justify bail: to show, by the oath of a person furnishing bail or other surety, that after the payment of his debts he is of adequate pecuniary ability.
1692. Act 4 Will. & M., c. 5 § 2. The Justices … shall make such Rules … for the justifying of such Bails … as to them shall seem meet.
1766–80. Burrow, Reports, IV. 2527. The sum he was required to justify in, was £9000.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., III. xix. 291. The bail … must justify themselves in court … by swearing themselves house-keepers, and each of them to be worth double the sum for which they are bail, after payment of all their debts.
1780. Newgate Cal., V. 49. They … justified bail for sums to a considerable amount, though they were not possessed of property to the value of twenty shillings.
1880. Standard, 9 April, 6/1. Bail for the husband was put in and justified.
1883. Wharton’s Law-Lex. (ed. 7), Justifying security. Administrators in certain cases are required by the Court of Probate to give justifying security.
† 8. To account just or reasonable; to approve of; to ratify. Obs.
1682. Grew, Anat. Plants, Pref. I was glad to see it [a book] so far justify’d by that Illustrious Society.
1729. Butler, Serm., Love Neighbour, Wks. 1874, II. 146. God himself will in the end justify their taste, and support their cause.
9. To make exact; to fit or arrange exactly; to adjust to exact shape, size or position. Now only in technical use; esp. (Type-founding), To adjust a ‘strike’ or ‘drive’ by making the sides level and square, and keeping the impression at the proper depth, so as to form a correct matrix; (Printing) To adjust types of smaller and larger bodies together, so that they will exactly fill up the forme; to space out the line of type in the composing stick properly; also intr. of type.
1551. Recorde, Cast. Knowl. (1556), 35. By true woorkinge to iustifie your Globe, whiche fyrste maye bee made as rounde, as any Turner can doo it, and then shall your instrument … correct it exactlye if it be amysse.
1671–2. T. Marshall, Lett. to Dr. Fell, 9 Feb. (in H. Hart, Cent. Typogr. Oxford, 167/1). He undertakes to justify Matrices, but not cut Punctions…. I suspend ye urging of ye Matrices to be justifyed by Mr Van Dijke.
1683. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., Printing, xvi. ¶ 2. Justifying of Matrices is, 1. to make the Face of the Sunken Letter, lie an exact designed depth below the Face of the Matrice, and on all its sides equally deep from the Face of the Matrice. 2. It is to set or Justifie the Foot-line of the Letter exactly in Line. 3. It is to Justifie both the sides, viz. the Right and left-sides of a Matrice to an exact thickness. Ibid., xxii. ¶ 4. Justifying (in Compositers Language) is the stiff or loose filling of his Stick, for if it be fill’d very stiff with Letters or Spaces, they say it is hard Justified, if loosly, they say it is loose Justified. Ibid., xxiv. ¶ 5. Justifying the Head is to put into the Mortesses in the Cheeks … an equal and convenient thickness of … square pieces of Felt, Pastboards, or Scaboards … that when the Press-man Pulls, the Tennants of the Head shall have an equal Horizontal level Check.
1824. J. Johnson, Typogr., II. 124. Taking care to space and to justify our matter.
1828. Webster, s.v., Types of different sizes will not justify with each other.
1892. Brit. Printer, V. No. 26. 19. Ample knowledge of how to justify is not yet the common property of printers.
1900. H. Hart, Cent. Typogr. Oxford, Pref. p. viii. Nowadays a type-founder desiring to enlarge the number of his founts, would be able … to buy ‘strikes,’ which when justified would become matrices.
