justify
To give a good reason for something you have done.
justify in a sentence
- He could not justify spending all his savings on one pair of boots.
- Asked to justify the decision, the referee simply pointed at the rulebook.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to justify?
- Adefend
- Bblame
- Ccondemn
- Dattack
Show the answer
A: defend. The other three mean the opposite of justify.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to justify?
- Acondemn
- Bexplain
- Cdefend
- Dexcuse
Show the answer
A: condemn. The other three mean nearly the same as justify.
Words that mean something similar
defend, excuse, explain
Words that mean the opposite
condemn, blame, attack
More words about thinking & learning
- knack: A clever skill for doing something easily.
- knowledgeable: Knowing a lot about something.
- logical: Sensible, and following clear reasoning.
- lucid: Very clear and easy to understand, or thinking clearly.
- ludicrous: So silly that it makes you laugh.
- mesmerise: To hold someone's attention so completely they cannot look away.
- muddle: To mix things up so they become confusing.
- mystify: To confuse someone completely.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test