Vindicate

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: vin=di=cate

CIDE DICTIONARY

Vindicate, v. t. [L. vindicatus, p. p. of vindicare to lay claim to, defend, avenge. See Vengeance.].

•  To lay claim to; to assert a right to; to claim.  [1913 Webster]

  "Is thine alone the seed that strews the plain?
  The birds of heaven shall vindicate their grain."  [1913 Webster]
•  To maintain or defend with success; to prove to be valid; to assert convincingly; to sustain against assault; as, to vindicate a right, claim, or title.  [1913 Webster]
•  To support or maintain as true or correct, against denial, censure, or objections; to defend; to justify.  [1913 Webster]

  "When the respondent denies any proposition, the opponent must directly vindicate . . . that proposition."  [1913 Webster]

  "Laugh where we must, be candid where we can,
  But vindicate the ways of God to man."  [1913 Webster]
•  To maintain, as a law or a cause, by overthrowing enemies.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]
•  To liberate; to set free; to deliver.  [1913 Webster]

  "I am confident he deserves much more
  That vindicates his country from a tyrant
  Than he that saves a citizen."  [1913 Webster]
•  To avenge; to punish; as, a war to vindicate or punish infidelity.  Bacon.  [1913 Webster]

  "God is more powerful to exact subjection and to vindicate rebellion."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To assert; maintain; claim. See Assert.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Vindicate, v.tr.
1 clear of blame or suspicion.
2 establish the existence, merits, or justice of (one's courage, conduct, assertion, etc.).
3 justify (a person, oneself, etc.) by evidence or argument.

Derivative

vindicable adj. vindication n. vindicative adj. vindicator n.

Etymology

L vindicare claim, avenge f. vindex -dicis claimant, avenger

THESAURUS

Vindicate

absolve, account for, acquit, advocate, amnesty, argue, assert, bear out, claim, clear, confute, contend, cry sour grapes, decontaminate, defend, destigmatize, discharge, dismiss, dispense from, disprove, do justice to, exculpate, excuse, exempt, exempt from, exonerate, explain, forgive, free, give absolution, grant amnesty to, grant immunity, grant remission, guard, justify, let go, let off, nonpros, pardon, plead for, protect, prove, purge, quash the charge, rationalize, redress, refute, rehabilitate, reinstate, release, remit, restore, revenge, second, set free, shield, shrive, spiteful, support, uphold, warrant, whitewash, withdraw the charge

ROGET THESAURUS

Vindicate

Revenge

VB revenge, avenge, vindicate, take one's revenge, have one's revenge, breathe revenge, breathe vengeance, wreak one's vengeance, wreak one's anger, have accounts to settle, have a crow to pluck, have a bone to pick, have a rod in pickle, keep the wound green, harbor revenge, harbor vindictive feeling, bear malice, rankle, rankle in the breast.

Vindication

N vindication, justification, warrant, exoneration, exculpation, acquittal, whitewashing, extenuation, palliation, palliative, softening, mitigation, reply, defense, recrimination, apology, gloss, varnish, plea, salvo, excuse, extenuating circumstances, allowance, allowance to be made, locus paenitentiae, apologist, vindicator, justifier, defendant, justifiable charge, true bill, v, justify, warrant, be an excuse for, lend a color, furnish a handle, vindicate, exculpate, disculpate, acquit, clear, set right, exonerate, whitewash, clear the skirts of, extenuate, palliate, excuse, soften, apologize, varnish, slur, gloze, put a gloss, put a good face upon, mince, gloss over, bolster up, help a lame dog over a stile, advocate, defend, plead one's cause, stand up for, stick up for, speak up for, contend for, speak for, bear out, keep in countenance, support, plead, say in defense, plead ignorance, confess and avoid, propugn, put in a good word for, take the will for the deed, make allowance for, give credit for, do justice to, give one his due, give the Devil his due, make good, prove the truth of, prove one's case, be justified by the event, vindicated, vindicating, exculpatory, apologetic, excusable, defensible, pardonable, venial, veniable, specious, plausible, justifiable, honi sot qui mal y pense, good wine needs no bush.