iustificare

Iustificare is a Latin verb of the first conjugation meaning “to justify,” “to vindicate,” or “to excuse,” and also “to render just” or “to make legitimate.” It derives from iustus, meaning “just,” and facere, “to do or make.” In Latin translation and rhetoric, it covers both secular and theological senses, including the act of proving something to be true or acceptable and the act of declaring someone righteous in a theological sense.

As a regular -are verb, iustificare follows standard first-conjugation patterns. Its principal parts are iustificare (infinitive), iustificio (or iustificō in the present active first singular), iustificavi (perfect active), and iustificatus (perfect passive participle). Present active forms include iustifico, iustificas, iustificat, iustificamus, iustificatis, iustificant. The imperfect runs iustificabam, and the future iustificabo. Perfect passive forms use iustificatus sum, iustificatus es, iustificatus est, etc. The passive voice is less common in some classical contexts but is grammatically standard.

Usage and range: iustificare appears in legal, rhetorical, and argumentative contexts to defend a claim, excuse a fault, or establish the legitimacy of an action. In Christian Latin, it also carries the sense of “to justify,” as in the theological doctrine of justification before God; related terms include iustificatio (justification) and iustus (just). The word is attested across Latin literature from antiquity through medieval scholastic writings and into later Christian theological works.