justificar

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin iūstificāre, from Latin iūstus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ʒus.ti.fiˈka]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [d͡ʒus.ti.fiˈkaɾ]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Verb

justificar (first-person singular present justifico, first-person singular preterite justifiquí, past participle justificat)

1. to justify
2. to explain, attribute

   O banco justifica os prejuízos com o efeito da pandemia. ― The bank attributes to the effect of the pandemic.

Conjugation

    Conjugation of justificar (first conjugation, c-qu alternation)

infinitive			justificar
gerund			justificant
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		justificat		justificada
		plural		justificats		justificades
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	justifico	justifiques	justifica	justifiquem	justifiqueu	justifiquen
	imperfect	justificava	justificaves	justificava	justificàvem	justificàveu	justificaven
	future	justificaré	justificaràs	justificarà	justificarem	justificareu	justificaran
	preterite	justifiquí	justificares	justificà	justificàrem	justificàreu	justificaren
	conditional	justificaria	justificaries	justificaria	justificaríem	justificaríeu	justificarien
subjunctive		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	justifiqui	justifiquis	justifiqui	justifiquem	justifiqueu	justifiquin
	imperfect	justifiqués	justifiquessis	justifiqués	justifiquéssim	justifiquéssiu	justifiquessin
imperative		—	tu	vostè	nosaltres	vosaltres vós	vostès
	affirmative	—	justifica	justifiqui	justifiquem	justifiqueu	justifiquin
	negative (no)	—	no justifiquis	no justifiqui	no justifiquem	no justifiqueu	no justifiquin

Derived terms

• justificable

Related terms

• justificació
• just

Further reading

• “justificar”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “justificar”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026
• “justificar” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “justificar”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan)

Occitan

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin iūstificāre, jūstificare, from Latin iūstus.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Béarn):

  (file)

Verb

justificar

1. to justify

Conjugation

    Lengadocian (Central Occitan)

		simple			compound
infinitive		justificar			aver justificat
gerund		justificant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		justificat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	justifiqui	justificas	justifica	justificam	justificatz	justifican
	imperfect	justificavi	justificavas	justificava	justificàvem	justificàvetz	justificavan
	preterite	justifiquèri	justifiquères	justifiquèt	justifiquèrem	justifiquèretz	justifiquèron
	future	justificarai	justificaràs	justificarà	justificarem	justificaretz	justificaràn
	conditional	justificariái	justificariás	justificariá	justificariam	justificariatz	justificarián
	conditional 2nd form1	justifiquèra	justifiquèras	justifiquèra	justifiqueram	justifiqueratz	justifiquèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	justifique	justifiques	justifique	justifiquem	justifiquetz	justifiquen
	imperfect	justifiquèssi	justifiquèsses	justifiquèsse	justifiquèssem	justifiquèssetz	justifiquèsson
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			justifica		justifiquem	justificatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Auvernhàs

		simple			compound
infinitive		justificar			aver justificat
gerund		justificant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		justificat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	justifique	justifiques	justifica	justificam	justificatz	justificon
	imperfect	justificave	justificaves	justificava	justificaviam	justificaviatz	justificavon
	preterite	justifiquere	justifiqueres	justifiquet	justifiquem	justifiquetz	justifiqueron
	future	justificarai	justificaràs	justificará	justificarem	justificaretz	justificarán
	conditional	justificariá	justificariás	justificariá	justificariam	justificariatz	justificarián
	conditional 2nd form1	justifiquèra	justifiquèras	justifiquèra	justifiqueram	justifiqueratz	justifiquèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	justifique	justifiques	justifique	justificassiam	justificassiatz	justificon
	imperfect	justifiquesse	justifiquesses	justifiquesse	justifiquessiam	justifiquessiatz	justifiquesson
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			justifica		justificassiam	justificatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Gascon

		simple			compound
infinitive		justificar			aver justificat
gerund		justificant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		justificat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	justifiqui	justificas	justifica	justificam	justificatz	justifican
	imperfect	justificavi	justificavas	justificava	justificàvam	justificàvatz	justificavan
	preterite	justifiquèi	justifiquès	justifiquè	justifiquèm	justifiquètz	justifiquèn
	future	justificarèi	justificaràs	justificarà	justificaram	justificaratz	justificaràn
	conditional	justificarí	justificarés	justificaré	justificarem	justificaretz	justificarén
	conditional 2nd form1	justifiquèra	justifiquèras	justifiquèra	justifiqueram	justifiqueratz	justifiquèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	justifiqui	justifiques	justifique	justifiquem	justifiquetz	justifiquen
	imperfect	justifiquèssi	justifiquèsses	justifiquèsse	justifiquèssem	justifiquèssetz	justifiquèssen
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			justifica		justifiquem	justificatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Lemosin

		simple			compound
infinitive		justificar			aver justificat
gerund		justificant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		justificat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	justifique	justificas	justifica	justificam	justificatz	justifican
	imperfect	justificava	justificavas	justificava	justificàvam	justificàvatz	justificavan
	preterite	justifiquei	justifiqueras	justifiquet	justifiquèram	justifiquèratz	justifiqueran
	future	justificarai	justificaràs	justificará	justificarem	justificaretz	justificarán
	conditional	justificariá	justificariàs	justificariá	justificariam	justificariatz	justificarián
	conditional 2nd form1	justifiquèra	justifiquèras	justifiquèra	justifiqueram	justifiqueratz	justifiquèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	justifique	justifiques	justifique	justifiquem	justifiquetz	justifiquen
	imperfect	justifiquèsse	justifiquèsses	justifiquèsse	justifiquèssem	justifiquèssetz	justifiquèssen
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			justifica		justifiquem	justificatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Provençau

		simple			compound
infinitive		justificar			aver justificat
gerund		justificant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		justificat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	justifique	justifiques	justifica	justificam	justificatz	justifican
	imperfect	justificavi	justificavas	justificava	justificàvem	justificàvetz	justificavan
	preterite	justifiquère	justifiquères	justifiquèt	justifiqueriam	justifiqueriatz	justifiquèron
	future	justificarai	justificaràs	justificarà	justificarem	justificaretz	justificaràn
	conditional	justificariáu	justificariás	justificariá	justificariam	justificariatz	justificarián
	conditional 2nd form1	justifiquèra	justifiquèras	justifiquèra	justifiqueram	justifiqueratz	justifiquèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	justifique	justifiques	justifique	justifiquem	justifiquetz	justifican
	imperfect	justifiquèsse	justifiquèsses	justifiquèsse	justifiquessiam	justifiquessiatz	justifiquèsson
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			justifica		justifiquem	justificatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

Related terms

• justificacion

Portuguese

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin iūstificāre. By surface analysis, justo +‎ -ificar.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ʒus.t͡ʃi.fiˈka(ʁ)/ [ʒus.t͡ʃi.fiˈka(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ʒus.t͡ʃi.fiˈka(ʁ)/ [ʒus.t͡ʃi.fiˈka(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /ʒus.t͡ʃi.fiˈka(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ʒuʃ.t͡ʃi.fiˈka(ʁ)/ [ʒuʃ.t͡ʃi.fiˈka(χ)]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /ʒus.t͡ʃi.fiˈka(ɻ)/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ʒuʃ.ti.fiˈkaɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ʒuʃ.ti.fiˈkaɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ʒuʃ.ti.fiˈka.ɾi/

• Hyphenation: jus‧ti‧fi‧car

Verb

justificar (first-person singular present justifico, first-person singular preterite justifiquei, past participle justificado)

1. (transitive) to justify (provide an acceptable explanation for)

   Justifique sua resposta. ― Justify your answer.

2. (transitive) to justify; to warrant (be a good, acceptable reason for)
3. (transitive) to justify (arrange text on a computer screen)
4. (reflexive) to justify (give reasons for one’s actions)
5. (intransitive, Brazil) To formally declare why one did not vote in the elections, in order to retain one's rights associated with voting.

   Faz anos que eu justifico, pois meu título de eleitor é de outro estado.

   I've been justifying my absence for years, because my voter ID is from another state.

Conjugation

    Conjugation of justificar (c-qu alternation) (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	justificar
Personal	justificar	justificares	justificar	justificarmos	justificardes	justificarem
Gerund
	justificando
Past participle
Masculine	justificado			justificados
Feminine	justificada			justificadas
Indicative
Present	justifico	justificas	justifica	justificamos	justificais	justificam
Imperfect	justificava	justificavas	justificava	justificávamos	justificáveis	justificavam
Preterite	justifiquei	justificaste	justificou	justificamos1, justificámos2	justificastes	justificaram
Pluperfect	justificara	justificaras	justificara	justificáramos	justificáreis	justificaram
Future	justificarei	justificarás	justificará	justificaremos	justificareis	justificarão
Conditional	justificaria	justificarias	justificaria	justificaríamos	justificaríeis	justificariam
Subjunctive
Present	justifique	justifiques	justifique	justifiquemos	justifiqueis	justifiquem
Imperfect	justificasse	justificasses	justificasse	justificássemos	justificásseis	justificassem
Future	justificar	justificares	justificar	justificarmos	justificardes	justificarem
Imperative
Affirmative		justifica	justifique	justifiquemos	justificai	justifiquem
Negative (não)		não justifiques	não justifique	não justifiquemos	não justifiqueis	não justifiquem

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:justificar.

Derived terms

• justificação
• justificativa

Related terms

• justo

Further reading

• “justificar”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin iūstificāre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /xustifiˈkaɾ/ [xus.t̪i.fiˈkaɾ]

• Audio (Venezuela):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: jus‧ti‧fi‧car

Verb

justificar (first-person singular present justifico, first-person singular preterite justifiqué, past participle justificado)

1. to justify
2. to account for

Conjugation

    Conjugation of justificar (c-qu alternation) (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			justificar
gerund			justificando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		justificado		justificada
		plural		justificados		justificadas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	justifico	justificastú justificásvos	justifica	justificamos	justificáis	justifican
	imperfect	justificaba	justificabas	justificaba	justificábamos	justificabais	justificaban
	preterite	justifiqué	justificaste	justificó	justificamos	justificasteis	justificaron
	future	justificaré	justificarás	justificará	justificaremos	justificaréis	justificarán
	conditional	justificaría	justificarías	justificaría	justificaríamos	justificaríais	justificarían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	justifique	justifiquestú justifiquésvos2	justifique	justifiquemos	justifiquéis	justifiquen
	imperfect (ra)	justificara	justificaras	justificara	justificáramos	justificarais	justificaran
	imperfect (se)	justificase	justificases	justificase	justificásemos	justificaseis	justificasen
	future1	justificare	justificares	justificare	justificáremos	justificareis	justificaren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		justificatú justificávos	justifique	justifiquemos	justificad	justifiquen
	negative		no justifiques	no justifique	no justifiquemos	no justifiquéis	no justifiquen

¹Rare; now chiefly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tuteo-form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of justificar (c-qu alternation)

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive justificar	dative	justificarme	justificarte	justificarle, justificarse	justificarnos	justificaros	justificarles, justificarse
	accusative	justificarme	justificarte	justificarlo, justificarla, justificarse	justificarnos	justificaros	justificarlos, justificarlas, justificarse
with gerund justificando	dative	justificándome	justificándote	justificándole, justificándose	justificándonos	justificándoos	justificándoles, justificándose
	accusative	justificándome	justificándote	justificándolo, justificándola, justificándose	justificándonos	justificándoos	justificándolos, justificándolas, justificándose
with informal second-person singular tuteo imperative justifica	dative	justifícame	justifícate	justifícale	justifícanos	not used	justifícales
	accusative	justifícame	justifícate	justifícalo, justifícala	justifícanos	not used	justifícalos, justifícalas
with informal second-person singular voseo imperative justificá	dative	justificame	justificate	justificale	justificanos	not used	justificales
	accusative	justificame	justificate	justificalo, justificala	justificanos	not used	justificalos, justificalas
with formal second-person singular imperative justifique	dative	justifíqueme	not used	justifíquele, justifíquese	justifíquenos	not used	justifíqueles
	accusative	justifíqueme	not used	justifíquelo, justifíquela, justifíquese	justifíquenos	not used	justifíquelos, justifíquelas
with first-person plural imperative justifiquemos	dative	not used	justifiquémoste	justifiquémosle	justifiquémonos	justifiquémoos	justifiquémosles
	accusative	not used	justifiquémoste	justifiquémoslo, justifiquémosla	justifiquémonos	justifiquémoos	justifiquémoslos, justifiquémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative justificad	dative	justificadme	not used	justificadle	justificadnos	justificaos	justificadles
	accusative	justificadme	not used	justificadlo, justificadla	justificadnos	justificaos	justificadlos, justificadlas
with formal second-person plural imperative justifiquen	dative	justifíquenme	not used	justifíquenle	justifíquennos	not used	justifíquenles, justifíquense
	accusative	justifíquenme	not used	justifíquenlo, justifíquenla	justifíquennos	not used	justifíquenlos, justifíquenlas, justifíquense

Derived terms

• el fin justifica los medios
• justificable

Related terms

• justificación
• justificante
• justo

Further reading

• “justificar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025