To justify something is to give good reasons or explanations that show it is fair, right, or reasonable. It can also mean to adjust text so that both edges line up straight on a page.
From Old French “justifier” meaning “to act justly, to make just”, from Latin “iustificare” (to make righteous), from “iustus” (just) and “facere” (to make). It originally had strong moral and religious meanings.
Humans are expert “justifiers”—we often decide first and explain later. The brain hates the feeling of being wrong, so it rushes to build stories that make our choices look reasonable. Learning to question your own justifications is a quiet superpower.
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