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justificatory

justificatory

1 8.8
Gives reasons to show why something is right or okay
  • adjective
  • /ˌdʒʌstɪfɪˈkeɪtəri/
: justificatorio
  • In her speech, she outlined several justificatory reasons for the policy changes being proposed.
  • justificatory requirement

Examples

  • Contemporary political choices ought not to be guided by a justificatory strategy built on the language of what are taken to be God's historical promises.

    Academic text (1995)
  • So rule-of-law considerations do not necessarily tell the whole justificatory story.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Do property rights pose a special justificatory problem?

    Academic text (1990)
  • In many of these cases, no sensory experience is playing justificatory roles.

    Blog text (31)
  • Its justificatory role could not be clearer.

    Academic text (2017)
  • In his wonderful book Praise and Blame, Daniel Robinson poses several questions that any justificatory account of punishment must answer.

    Academic text (2003)
  • We can now address two longstanding questions about restitution as a justificatory theory of punishment.

    Academic text (2003)
  • A humanist approach is skeptical about the justificatory arguments of those religions that claim access to a divine order.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Arguments for private property based on a tale about original acquisition in long-ago times seem, indeed, to be a justificatory embarrassment.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Such resources sustain the "spirit of capitalism"—the justificatory mechanisms that compel participation and deflect critique.

    Academic text (2012)

Synonyms

vindicatory
vsjustificatory
1 9.9

Showing that a person is not guilty of a wrong

is broader, offering general reasons rather than clearing blame
justificative
vsjustificatory
8.9

Giving a reason to defend or explain something

is the same in meaning and use, appearing as an alternate form

Antonyms

24 7.5

People cannot show a decision or action is right when others criticize it

You cannot show it is right or acceptable

How Defensive

defensive
404 3.8
vindicatory
1 9.9
justificatory
1 8.8
explanatory
26 3.8
apologetic
27 3.7

Surface Forms

justificatory positive

Morphology

justificatory = justify (transparent) = justific + atory

A regular deverbal adjective formation using the suffix '-atory' so learners who know 'justify' can infer the meaning.

Etymology

The word justificatory comes from the root just meaning 'right' or 'fair' and a part like -ify meaning 'to make', like in justice and justify. So a justificatory statement tries to 'make' something seem right by giving reasons or defending it.