iustare

iustare is a Latin verb of the first conjugation meaning to render just, to justify, or to make something fair or right. The form derives from the adjective iustus (just) with the regular -āre infinitive ending. In classical and late Latin, iustare appears in ethical, legal, and rhetorical contexts, where a speaker or magistrate aims to align a person, action, or judgment with the standard of justice.

Usage and nuance: iustare expresses the act of making something just or justifying a claim, rather than merely describing justice. It can refer to correcting an imbalance, vindicating a person, or establishing a rightly grounded judgment. Because it is relatively rare compared with related terms such as iustificare (to justify) or iustitia (justice), iustare is often encountered in legal glossaries, moral treatises, or late medieval and early modern Latin texts. When it does occur, it appears in various tenses and voices according to standard Latin conjugation patterns.

Related terms and concepts: The verb is connected to iustus (just), iustitia (justice), and iustificare (to justify, to prove right). The concept it conveys encompasses both moral rectitude and the act of legitimizing a judgment, action, or condition. In modern discussions of Latin vocabulary, iustare is typically noted as a more specialized or archaic form, chiefly of interest to scholars of legal or philosophical Latin.