self-justifying

adjective

self-jus·​ti·​fy·​ing ˌself-ˈjə-stə-ˌfī-iŋ How to pronounce self-justifying (audio)
: seeking to justify oneself

Examples of self-justifying in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Yet in the years after World War II, many Germans were in varying degrees unrepentant, nationalistic or self-justifying. — Gary J. Bass, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025 Activism was neither vengeful nor self-justifying; saving other people’s children was simply the best means of surviving one’s own loss. — Andrew Solomon, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of self-justifying was in 1642

Rhymes for self-justifying

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Browse Nearby Words

self-justification
self-justifying
self-killed
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Cite this Entry

“Self-justifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-justifying. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

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