justifying
UK[ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪɪŋ]US[ˈdʒʌstɪfaɪɪŋ]
v
Showing or proving to be right, reasonable, or necessary.
v
Adjusting text to align evenly along both the left and right margins.
Morpheme Breakdown
just
ify
ing
just
fair, right
ify
to make
ing
present participle suffix
Etymology
The word 'justifying' is built upon the Latin adjective iustus, meaning 'just' or 'righteous', which itself derives from ius, signifying law or right. The addition of the verb-forming suffix -ify, from Latin -ificare ('to make'), transforms the concept into an action: 'to make right'. The present participle suffix -ing then casts this action as ongoing or descriptive. Thus, the literal progression from 'making right' evolved into the modern abstract senses of providing valid reasons for an action or, in typography, making lines of text align correctly to a standard margin.
Analysis
Structure: just (fair, right) + ify (to make) + ing (present participle suffix)
- just: From Latin iustus (just, righteous). Functions as the core adjective root meaning 'fair' or 'right'.
- ify: From Latin -ificare, a verb-forming suffix meaning 'to make' or 'to cause to become'.
- ing: From Old English -ende, a suffix forming the present participle, indicating an ongoing action or state.
Examples
He spent a long time justifying his decision to the committee.
The data is crucial for justifying the increased budget allocation.
The document looks cleaner with justifying the text on the page.