justify
/ˈdʒʌs.tɪ.faɪ/(verb)
AWL Sublist 3CEFR B2IELTS Band 7.0 - 9.0
Academic Definition
To show, prove, or give a good reason for something to be right, reasonable, or necessary.
Key Academic Collocations
Click to copyWord Family & Derivatives
justifyjustificationjustifiablejustifiablyjustifiedunjustified
Lexical Alternatives (Synonyms)
defendvindicatewarrantsubstantiaterationalize
Academic Sample Sentences in Context
"Proponents argue that the enormous societal returns on scientific discovery justify state funding for space missions."
"It is impossible to ethically justify inflicting distress on laboratory animals for non-essential cosmetic testing."
"The projected ridership numbers were deemed insufficient to justify the multibillion-dollar high-speed rail expenditure."
IELTS Examiner Scoring Strategy (Lexical Resource)
Use 'hardly justifies the expense' or 'fully justified on humanitarian grounds' in Task 2 argumentative essays.