| Main Entry: | justification |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | reason, excuse |
Synonyms: |
absolution, account, acquittal, advocacy, answer, apologia, apology, approval, argument, basis, confirmation, defense, exculpation, exoneration, explanation, extenuation, grounds, idea, mitigation, palliation, palliative, plea, pretext, raison d'être, rationale, rationalization, rebuttal, redemption, reply, response, salvation, sanctification, song and dance, story, support, validation, vindication, warrant, whatfor, wherefore, whitewashing, whole idea, why and wherefore |
| Main Entry: | justification |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
Related
Adjectives: |
apologetic, defensible, exculpatory, excusable, justifiable, palliative, pardonable, plausible, specious, veniable, venial, vindicated, vindicating, vindicative, vindicatory
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| Main Entry: | account |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | basis or consideration for action |
Synonyms: |
cause, ground, grounds, interest, justification, motive, rationale, rationalization, reason, regard, sake |
| Main Entry: | advocacy |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | support for an idea or cause |
Synonyms: |
advancement, aid, assistance, backing, campaigning for, championing, defense, encouragement, justification, pleading for, promotion, promulgation, propagation, proposal, recommendation, upholding, urging |
Antonyms: |
attack, opposition, protest |
| Main Entry: | alibi |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | defense against charges of wrongdoing; evidence of absence |
Synonyms: |
account, affirmation, airtight case, allegation, answer, assertion, assurance, avowal, case, cop-out, cover, declaration, excuse, explanation, fish story, justification, plea, pretext, profession, proof, reason, reply, retort, song and dance, stall, statement, vindication |
| Notes: | an alias is an assumed name, an alibi is a form of defense whereby a defendant attempts to prove that he or she was elsewhere when the crime in question was committed, while an excuse is an explanation offered to justify or obtain forgiveness |
| Main Entry: | answer |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | reply; reaction |
Synonyms: |
acknowledgment, antiphon, back talk, backcap, band-aid, close, comeback, comment, cooler, counterclaim, crack, defense, disclosure, echo, elucidation, explanation, feedback, guff, interpretation, justification, key, lip, observation, parting shot, pay dirt, plea, quick fix, rebuttal, refutation, rejoinder, remark, repartee, report, resolution, response, result, retort, return, rhetorical question, riposte, sign, solution, statement, thank-you note, the ticket, topper, vindication, wisecrack |
Antonyms: |
question |
| Main Entry: | apology |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | offering of remorse, regret |
Synonyms: |
acknowledgment, admission, amends, atonement, concession, confession, defense, excuse, explanation, extenuation, justification, mea culpa, mitigation, plea, redress, reparation, vindication |
Antonyms: |
accusation, censure, charge, complaint, condemnation, criticism, defiance, indictment |
| Main Entry: | basis |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | foundation for belief, action |
Synonyms: |
antecedent, assumption, authority, axiom, backbone, background, backing, base, bedrock, cause, center, chief ingredient, core, crux, data, dictum, essence, essential, evidence, explanation, footing, fundamental, hard fact, heart, infrastructure, justification, keynote, keystone, law, nexus, nucleus, postulate, premise, presumption, presupposition, principal element, principle, proof, reason, root, rudiment, sanction, security, source, substratum, support, theorem, theory, underpinning, warrant |
| Main Entry: | call |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | need, cause for action |
Synonyms: |
claim, excuse, grounds, justification, necessity, obligation, occasion, reason, right, urge |
| Main Entry: | excuse |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | reason, explanation |
Synonyms: |
alibi, apology, cleanup, cop-out, cover story, cover*, coverup, defense, disguise, evasion, expedient, extenuation, fish story, grounds, jive, justification, makeshift, mitigation, plea, pretext, rationalization, regrets, routine, semblance, shift, song and dance, song*, stall, stopgap, story, substitute, subterfuge, trick*, vindication, whitewash, why and wherefore |