self-justification
UK[ˌself ˌdʒʌstɪfɪˈkeɪʃn]US[ˌself ˌdʒʌstɪfɪˈkeɪʃn]
n
The act or process of trying to make your own actions or opinions seem reasonable or right, especially when others think they are wrong.
Morpheme Breakdown
self
justific
ation
self
one
justific
to show or prove to be right.
ation
the act or process of.
Etymology
The word is a modern English compound built from established morphemes. The core, "justify," originates from Latin justificare, a combination of justus (lawful, right) and facere (to do or make), literally meaning "to make right." The reflexive prefix "self," of Germanic origin, directs the action inward. The suffix "-ation" converts the verb into a noun denoting the process. Thus, the literal construction "the process of making oneself right" perfectly captures the modern abstract meaning: the cognitive or verbal process of defending one's own actions or beliefs to oneself or others.
Analysis
Structure: self + justific + ation
self: Old English, meaning "one's own person." Functions as a prefix indicating reflexivity or pertaining to oneself.
justific: From Latin justificare (to make right, justify), itself from justus (just) + facere (to make). In English, it serves as the verb root meaning "to show or prove to be right."
ation: Latin suffix -ationem, forming nouns of action or state from verbs. In English, it functions as a noun suffix meaning "the act or process of."
Examples
His lengthy explanation was less an apology and more an exercise in self-justification.
After the mistake, she was plagued by a need for self-justification, constantly replaying the events in her mind.
The memoir revealed the author's deep-seated need for self-justification regarding his past decisions.