justifiableadj.

1443 [implied in: 1443 in H. Nicolas Proc. & Ordinances Privy Council (1835) V. 243 (MED) Þt þe franchise be seesed as ferforth as it may justifiably be doon.].

1561 T. Norton in tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. (1634) iv. xiii. 628 (margin) Departure from Monkerie to some other honest kind of life [is] justifiable.

1592 A. Day 2nd Pt. Eng. Secretorie sig. G2, in Eng. Secretorie (rev. ed.) May it not sometimes be iustifiable to breake a mans head?

1624 J. Smith Gen. Hist. Virginia Pref. §4 The stile of a Souldier is not eloquent, but honest and iustifiable.

1693 F. Bugg New Rome Arraigned 47 The Quakers..teach that it is as justifiable to burn the Bible, as the Books wrote by Geo. Fox.

1708 J. Keill Acct. Animal Secretion 103 In no Case..is the drawing off a large quantity of Blood at a time justifiable.

1770 H. Kelly Word to Wise ii. 24 If the worst shou'd happen, I shall still find a consolation in having taken every justifiable method to prevent it.

1819 Port Folio Jan. 20 No war is justifiable but a defensive one.

1859 J. Cumming Ruth ii. 15 Emigration from one's own land seems hardly justifiable.

1904 Accountant 19 Mar. 363/2 Is it justifiable to add to the original cost in the books the cost of carrying these properties until they are sold?

1948 Life 6 Sept. 103/2 Appropriation of billions for Europe last spring was justifiable as an emergency measure.

1991 G. Greer Change v. 135 The anti-social behaviour of demented old women might be an expression of justifiable rage too long stifled and unheard.

1581 A. Fleming Diamond of Deuotion ii. 96 Those which by thy grace, are for their might and will in some good measure iustifiable.

1593 J. Balmford Short & Plaine Dialogue conc. Vnlawfulnes Cards sig. A4^v Table-playing is no whit the more lawfull, because Plato compares the life of man thereunto, than a theefe is the more iustifiable, because Christ compareth his second comming, to Burglarie in the night.

1615 T. Jackson Justifying Faith 218 Of men iustifiable because actually partakers of Gods graces, we become actually iustified or absolued.

1654 T. Gataker Disc. Apol. 84 Manie Anabaptists..are more justifiable before God, and more sufferable with man, then Presbyterians and strict Calvinists.

1705 Def. their Majesties King William & Queen Mary in Coll. State Tracts I. 207 If he was in the wrong upon the matter, he was to be blam'd in every Circumstance but if he was justifiable in the main, he was justifiable in the whole Affair.

1756 Connoisseur No. 125. 159 I was justifiable in my remarks on the barrenness of invention in most modern compositions.

1801 M. Edgeworth Forester in Moral Tales I. 128 Little artifices which a tradesman thinks himself justifiable in practising.

1846 Littell's Living Age 8 9/1 It might reasonably be asked, whether the government is justifiable in again fitting out ships filled with human beings [etc.].

1904 Southeastern Reporter 46 432/2 It not appearing that either party was justifiable in all that he did.

2011 S. Montiglio From Villain to Hero iii. 71 If because of profit, he is condemnable; but if he is thinking that the gifts betray the suitors' overconfidence, he is justifiable.

1580 J. Bell tr. J. Foxe Pope Confuted ii. 85 By what argument will our aduersaries make this their assertion iustifiable?

1612 J. Selden in M. Drayton Poly-olbion viii. Illustr. 127 It is iustifiable by Cæsar, that they vs'd to shaue all except their head & vpper lip..but in their old Coynes I see no such thing warranted.

1646 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica iii. xxiv. 170 Some in the water doe carry a justifiable resemblance to some at the Land. View more context for this quotation

1651 ‘A. B.’ tr. L. Lessius Sir Walter Rawleigh's Ghost 201 That so much raine could cause so great an inundation..may be made justifyable partly by reason, and partly by experience.

a1686 J. Gordon Hist. Scots Affairs (1841) II. 50 That the distinctione of sinne, in mortall and veniall, was lauful and justifiable.

1712 S. Thirlby Answer to Mr. Whiston's 17 Suspicions conc. Athanasius p. cxviij As for any other Reflections I may have made Occasionally in these Papers..I hope they are fairly Justifiable by the Truth & Design of 'em.

1740 A. Baxter Matho I. vi. 368 We could not find justifiable Arguments to conclude them rational Beings.

1815 J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art II. 265 It was admitted that the ancients spoke from justifiable data.

1872 ‘G. Eliot’ Middlemarch (1873) lxxxiv. 281/2 The mass of his feeling about Dorothea's marriage to Ladislaw was due partly to excusable prejudice, or even justifiable opinion.

1949 E. D. Merrill Index Rafinesquianus Introd. 55/1 Unreliability is a justifiable accusation.

1992 Maclean's 9 Nov. 100/2 That's a basic and justifiable claim.

1625 S. Purchas Pilgrimes I. iv. xvi. 574 Their surprize is iust and iustifiable, all their goods forfeited.

1630 I. C. Handkercher for Parents Wet Eyes 7 If David thought his sorrow iustifiable for his Sonne that was a Rebell, and almost a Parricide; your sorrow cannot but be iust for so towardly, so deare, so precious a Sonne.

1683 tr. J.-B. de Rocoles Hist. Infamous Impostors ix. 132 Her anger was the more Justifyable, having granted this Counterfeit Sebastian, many innocent Favours.

1749 M. Pilkington Rational Concordance 8 Instances of justifiable Anger.

1794 A. Radcliffe Myst. of Udolpho II. xi. 449 Her surprise, on hearing such soothing and delicious sounds, was, at least, justifiable; for it was long—very long, since she had listened to any thing like melody.

1834 C. Bury Disinherited (1837) xxiii. 324 Perhaps her secret but justifiable sorrow at her son's conduct..had considerable influence in advancing the progress of the disease.

1888 J. C. Murray tr. S. Maimon Autobiogr. 299 The annoyance was considerably greater, as it was more justifiable, on the other side.

1922 ‘R. Crompton’ Just—William i. 16 In a moment of justifiable exasperation, he threw a beer bottle at her head.

2009 D. Moyo Dead Aid vii. 99 The disappointment is justifiable.