justify

/ˈjə-stə-ˌfī/

Middle English justifien, from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French justifier, from Late Latin justificare, from Latin justus seejust

verb

  1. to prove or show to be just, right, or reasonable

  2. to show to have had a sufficient legal reason

  3. to qualify (oneself) as a surety by taking oath to the ownership of sufficient property

trying to justify his selfish behavior

maintain assert defend vindicate justify mean to uphold as true, right, just, or reasonable. maintain stresses firmness of conviction. assert suggests determination to make others accept one's claim.

idiom

  1. to provide an explanation for one's actions

Why should I have to justify myself when it was their fault?