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Justify vs. Define — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Justify and Define

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Definitions

Justify

To demonstrate or prove to be just, right, or valid
Justified each budgetary expense as necessary.
Anger that is justified by the circumstances.

Define

State or describe exactly the nature, scope, or meaning of
The contract will seek to define the client's obligations

Justify

To free (a human) of the guilt and penalty attached to grievous sin. Used of God.

Define

Mark out the boundary or limits of
The river defines the park's boundary

Justify

To demonstrate sufficient legal reason for (an action taken).
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Define

To state the precise meaning of (a word or sense of a word, for example).

Justify

To prove to be qualified as a bondsman.

Define

To describe the nature or basic qualities of; explain
Define the properties of a new drug.
A study that defines people according to their median incomes.

Justify

To format (a paragraph, for example) so that the lines of text begin and end evenly at a straight margin.

Define

To make clear the outline or form of; delineate
Gentle hills that were defined against the sky.
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Justify

(transitive) To provide an acceptable explanation for.
How can you justify spending so much money on clothes?
Paying too much for car insurance is not justified.

Define

To specify distinctly
Define the weapons to be used in limited warfare.

Justify

(transitive) To be a good, acceptable reason for; warrant.
Nothing can justify your rude behaviour last night.

Define

To give form or meaning to
"For him, a life is defined by action" (Jay Parini).

Justify

(transitive) To arrange (text) on a page or a computer screen such that the left and right ends of all lines within paragraphs are aligned.
The text will look better justified.

Define

To make or write a definition.

Justify

(transitive) To absolve, and declare to be free of blame or sin.

Define

To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly.
The defining power of an optical instrument

Justify

(reflexive) To give reasons for one’s actions; to make an argument to prove that one is in the right.
She felt no need to justify herself for deciding not to invite him.

Define

(obsolete) To settle, decide an argument etc.

Justify

To prove; to ratify; to confirm.

Define

To express the essential nature of something.
I define myself as a techno-anarchist.
Your past mistakes do not define who you are.

Justify

(legal) To show (a person) to have had a sufficient legal reason for an act that has been made the subject of a charge or accusation.

Define

To state the meaning of a word, phrase, sign, or symbol.
The textbook defined speed as velocity divided by time.

Justify

(legal) To qualify (oneself) as a surety by taking oath to the ownership of sufficient property.

Define

To describe, explain, or make definite and clear; used to request the listener or other person to elaborate or explain more clearly his or her intended meaning of a word or expression.
Person 1: Is she good at math?
Person 2: Define "good." If you mean if she is faster than the average middle schooler at multiplication, then yes. If you mean if she is able to do multivariable calculus, then no.

Justify

To prove or show to be just; to vindicate; to maintain or defend as conformable to law, right, justice, propriety, or duty.
That to the height of this great argumentI may assert eternal providence,And justify the ways of God to men.
Unless the oppression is so extreme as to justify revolution, it would not justify the evil of breaking up a government.

Define

To demark sharply the outlines or limits of an area or concept.
To define the legal boundaries of a property

Justify

To pronounce free from guilt or blame; to declare or prove to have done that which is just, right, proper, etc.; to absolve; to exonerate; to clear.
I can not justify whom the law condemns.

Define

(mathematics) To establish the referent of a term or notation.

Justify

To treat as if righteous and just; to pardon; to exculpate; to absolve.
By him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Define

(programming) A kind of macro in source code that replaces one text string with another wherever it occurs.

Justify

To prove; to ratify; to confirm.

Define

To fix the bounds of; to bring to a termination; to end.

Justify

To make even or true, as lines of type, by proper spacing; to align (text) at the left (left justify) or right (right justify) margins of a column or page, or at both margins; to adjust, as type. See Justification, 4.

Define

To determine or clearly exhibit the boundaries of; to mark the limits of; as, to define the extent of a kingdom or country.

Justify

To show (a person) to have had a sufficient legal reason for an act that has been made the subject of a charge or accusation.
The production of bail in court, who there justify themselves against the exception of the plaintiff.

Define

To determine with precision; to mark out with distinctness; to ascertain or exhibit clearly; as, the defining power of an optical instrument.
Rings . . . very distinct and well defined.

Justify

To form an even surface or true line with something else; to fit exactly.

Define

To determine the precise signification of; to fix the meaning of; to describe accurately; to explain; to expound or interpret; as, to define a word, a phrase, or a scientific term.
They define virtue to be life ordered according to nature.

Justify

To take oath to the ownership of property sufficient to qualify one's self as bail or surety.

Define

To determine; to decide.

Justify

Show to be reasonable or provide adequate ground for;
The emergency does not warrant all of us buying guns
The end justifies the means

Define

Give a definition for the meaning of a word;
Define `sadness'

Justify

Show to be right by providing justification or proof;
Vindicate a claim

Define

Determine the essential quality of

Justify

Defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning;
Rationalize the child's seemingly crazy behavior
He rationalized his lack of success

Define

Determine the nature of;
What defines a good wine?

Justify

Let off the hook;
I absolve you from this responsibility

Define

Delineate the form or outline of;
The tree was clearly defined by the light
The camera could define the smallest object

Justify

Adjust the spaces between words;
Justify the margins

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