Spanish word

justificar

Pronunciation

IPA/xustifiˈkaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbjustify

Example

Él no justifica su comportamiento.

He does not justify his behavior.

Illustration for justificar (justify)

More examples

¿Cómo puedes justificar esa ausencia?

How can you justify that absence?

Core concept

Giving reasons or evidence to defend a behavior or decision.

Common phrases

  • justificar la ausencia

    justify the absence

  • justificar una decisión

    justify a decision

  • justificar una opinión

    justify an opinion

Similar words

explicar: Clarifies why something happened by explaining facts and underlying causes plainly.
defender: Offers arguments and evidence to uphold and protect an opinion or action.
alegar: Puts forward a stated reason or circumstance as justification for a claim or excuse.

Definition in Spanish

Presentar razones o pruebas para defender o justificar una conducta, decisión u opinión.

Word origin

Derived from Latin iustificare (iustus 'just' + facere 'to make'), originally 'to render just', which passed into Spanish as justificar.

Usage tips

  • Common collocations are justificar una decisión, justificar gastos, and justificar una ausencia, where the verb implies supplying reasons or documentation rather than asking pardon.

Other meanings

  • proveverb

Opposites

  • invalidarinvalidateverb

Related words

  • justificantesupporting documentnoun
  • injustificableunjustifiableadjective
  • justificaciónjustificationnoun

Word lists with this word