Middle English Dictionary Entry
justifīen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | justifīen v. Also justefien; p.ppl. i)justified & iustaffid. |
| Etymology | OF justifiier |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To administer justice; execute (laws); (b) to judge (matters), adjudicate; (c) to punish an offender; bring (sb.) to justíce, punish; correct (sb. or his heart); refl. discipline (oneself).
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.3872 : God was ek wel paid..That he [Solomon] so wolde his herte plye The lawes forto justefie.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)150 : Here..sal be siþen teld..of salamon þe wise, Hou craftili he did iustifie [Vsp: did iustis; Frf: gaf Iustise; Trin-C: was crafti iustise].
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.1126 : Ector was goon in-to þis Panonye, Certeyn causys for to iustefye.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.6798 : My blood..shal..accuse..ȝoure grete envie To þe goddes, þat shal iustefie Euery vnriȝt..Ful egally, and make to be knowe Þe trouþe.
c
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1250 : Forto justefie His [Inobedience's] herte, I not what mihte availe.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)74/26 : He shal haue grete payne to iustifien ham þat bene vntrew.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)210/23 : If Robert þe Brus of Scotland wolde nouȝt be iustifiede, and make amendes vnto kyng Edward..þat þe sentence shulde be pronouncede þrouȝ all Engeland.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)34/4 : It parteyneþ to þe ordir of knyȝthod to defende Goddis lawe..& to iustifie or soore punysche mysdoars.
- (1423) RParl.4.257a : If the Maister of the mynte..have offended in his office..that thanne he be corrected, and justified by the commune lawe.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)5987 : Fadirs and modirs sal rekken..Of þair sons and þair doghtirs unchastide; And loverdes alswa of þair men..Þe whilk þai wald noght iustify.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)131/8 : Ȝif he were [robbed], the kyng wolde iustifyed [read: iustifyen] anon.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)663 : Luke thow justyfye them wele, that injurye wyrkes.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)13 : He that is a rytewyse iusticer fryst shulde iustifie hym selph, ffor he that iustifies not hym self is not worthi to iustifye anothir.
- (1444) RParl.5.113a : Item, that..no man be excused to serve by the yeer, upon peyne to be justified as a Vagaraunt.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)16.318 : Thanne Axede him Nasciens Anon Riht there Whi that so sore Iustefyed he were?
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)2786 : Þei..wol..robbe and slee and do al swich folye, Whan þer no lawe is, hem to iustifie.
- ?a1450(1422) Lydg.SD (McC 182)62/7 : Cesar..entered [Rome] as a conquerowre & Iustefied þe Romeynes at his liste.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)2510 : Thys swerd..Wher-with ye shal your wyt applye, Sowle & body to Iustefye.
2.
(a) To govern; rule (a kingdom or country); control (sb.), subject to just rule; have (sth.) in charge; refl. govern oneself; ppl. justified in, bound or subject to (a religious order); (b) of zodiacal signs: to rule (a region); (c) refl. to constrain oneself (to do sth.); (d) ?to protect (sth.), defend.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.4557 : Love is lord in every place; Ther mai no lawe him justefie.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.2730 : It sit wel to his regalie That he himself ferst justefie Towardes god in his degre.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.1270 : Thus stant this lady justefied In ordre wher sche thenkth to duelle.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.2112 : Every man for his partie A kingdom hath to justefie, That is to sein, his oghne dom.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.3080 : If a kyng wol justifie His lond and hem that beþ withynne, First at hym self he mot begynne.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)prol.130 : Lewed men ne coude Iangle ne iugge þat iustifie hem shulde, But suffren & seruen.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)19.44 : And so Ihesus, þe iewes he iustified & tauȝte hem Þe lawe of lyf.
- 1448(1435) *Mandeville Brut (Arms 58:Kooper)f.313v : Þe Pope by his bullys sende a generall sentence to þe archebusshop of Canterbury and to þe archebusshop of Yorke þat yf Robert Brous and þe Scottes wold not be iustaffyd by kyng Edward of Engelonde hure lord and make amendys of alle þe harmys þe which [þey] had ydo in his lond of Engelond .. þat þey shold pronunce þe sentence þurghout Scotlond.
- c1450 Royal SSecr.(Roy 18.A.7)22/26 : But if he iustifie him with temperaunce as longith vnto lastyng of long lyf, he shalle fayle.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)112 : Thai..ordenyd the same reaume to be ruled and justified by suche lawes as thai all wolde assent vnto.
- a1500(c1386) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)229 : I justifiet þis joly toun on gentil wise.
- a1500 Discip.Cler.(Wor F.172)14 : Ne is nat the Cok strenger than thow, whiche iustifieth x wifes and thow maist nat chastise oon?
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.1244 : Riht so ben divised The Signes tuelve and stonde assised, That ech of hem for his partie Hath his climat to justefie.
c
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)93 : Ȝif the defendaunt..wil not justefien hym to answeryn in the fourme afornseid..thanne be it awarded from court to court.
d
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.2012 : The king..hath to justifie The worldes good fro covoitise.
3.
(a) To prove or find (God or His judgments) to be righteous or just; refl. reckon or declare oneself righteous; (b) to deem (a cause) just.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ps.18.10 : The domes of the Lord verre iustefied in to themself.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ps.50.6 : To thee alone I synnede, and euel befor thee I dide, that thou be iustefied in thi woordis.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Luke 16.15 : Ȝe it ben, that iustifyen ȝou bifore men.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Rom.3.4 : God is trewe, or sothfast..as is writun, That thou be iustifyed, or founden trewe, in thi wordis.
- c1425(c1400) Primer (Cmb Dd.11.82)p.3 : Þe domes of þe lord ben trewe, iustified in-to hem-silf.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)7959 : A pharise..hym sylff gan iustefye, And off pryde to magnefye.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)99/8 : If..þou iustifiest not þiself as þouȝ þou ouȝtist not suffre so gret þinges..þan, [etc.].
b
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.266 : The cause commyt as Cato justified, That was þe querell of Pompeius; The goddes han his iugement denyed; Thei demed iust þe cause of Julius.
4.
To make (sb., the heart, etc.) righteous; make (sb.) appear righteous by comparison; -- also refl.
Associated quotations
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Job 9.2 : A man comparisoun to God shal not be iustified [WB(2): be maad iust; L iustificetur].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ps.142.2 : Lord..ther shal not be iustified in thi siȝte eche lyuende.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ecclus.1.18 : Religiosite shal kepen and iustefien the herte.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.6424 : Who that wol him justefie, It is ynouh to do the lawe.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)700 : Lorde..non lyuyande to þe is justyfyet.
- a1425(c1384) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ezek.16.51 : Thou [Jerusalem] hast ouercomen hem [Samaria and Sodom] in grete trespassis, and hast iustified thi sistris in alle thin abomynaciouns.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)268 : Iustyfyyn, or make rygh[t]efulle: Justifico.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)10083 : Devout wepyng wyth orisouns And hooly medytacyouns..Shal off thy cause do vengaunce, Best iustefye thy party.
5.
(a) To acquit (the guilty); (b) of God: to absolve (the sinner) by His free gift of divine forgiveness and grace and for man's faith in Christ; also, to win God's grace for (sb.).
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.5.23 : Wo that myȝty ben to drinke wyn..that iustefien [L iustificatis] the vnpitous for ȝiftes.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))1 Cor.4.4 : I am no thing gilty to my silf, but not in this thing I am iustified.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)111/29 : Woo to ȝou þat iustifien þe wickid man for ȝiftis.
b
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Rom.3.26 : That he [God] be iust and iustifyinge him that is of the feith of Jhesu Crist.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Rom.3.28 : We demen a man for to be iustifyed by feith, withouten workis of lawe.
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)48/10 : Men beþ y-iustyfyed of hure synnes, þoroȝ grace in byleuynge in Crist, & noȝt þoroȝ kepynge þe werkes of þe lawe.
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)Rom.8.30 : Þilke þat he haþ y-cleped, þilke he haþ iustyfyed, & þilke þat he haþ y-iustifyed, þilke he haþ y-magnyfyed.
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)Jas.2.21 : Abraham..ne was noȝt he y-iustyfyed of his werkes, offrynge Ysaac his sone up-on þe auter?
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Rom.3.24 : Alle men synneden, and han nede to the glorie of God, and ben iustified freli bi his grace, bi the aȝenbiyng that is in Crist Jhesu.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Rom.3.20 : Of deedis of þe lawe schal not be iustified alle flesch by for hym.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)261 : 'O crosse of Crist, y preie thee helpe me and defende me and iustifie me' -- the dew vndirstonding her of mai be this: 'O Crist, y preie thee helpe me and iustifie me bi thi crosse as therto the helping instrument.'
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.20.13a : Þis Pharisee..demed and reprouede in his herte þe Publican, whilk was iustified of God.
- a1500 Methodius(3) (Stw 953)701 : Prophetys..were here be-forn slayn & martyryd for my sake to Iustyfye man.
- a1500 12 PTrib.(2) (Rwl C.894)395 : This publican yode thens iustified, or made ryght, by his verry meke confessione.
6.
(a) To defend (sb. or sth.); vindicate; -- also refl.; (b) to prove (sth.) to be true or correct; also, strengthen (words).
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Job 9.20 : If I wile iustefie me [WB(2): make me iust; L iustificare me], my mouth shal condempne me.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Job 11.2 : Sofar..seide, whether..a man ful of woordis shal be iustefied [WB(2): maad iust; L iustificabitur].
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)4 : Y schal iustifie xj gouernauncis of the clergie, whiche summe of the comoun peple vnwijsly and vntreuli iugen and condempnen to be yuele.
- (c1456) Pecock Faith (Trin-C B.14.45)111 : Tho clerkis laboren and ben aboute for to iustifie thilke meene that the clergie..may not erre and faile aȝens eny article of feith.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.2525 : With blody wordis this synne [lechery] they Iustefye, And sey it is a sporte and a kyndely game.
- a1500(?c1378) Wycl.OPastor.(Ryl Eng 86)416 : Þou maist not answere heere ne iustefie þy part bi goddis lawe.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.775 : These elementz ben creatures, So ben these hevenly figures, Wherof mai wel be justefied That thei mai noght be deified.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.1634 : Ther mai a man the Scole liere Of Rethoriqes eloquences..Wherof a man schal justifie Hise wordes in disputeisoun.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1400 Life Soul (LdMisc 210)3/9 : A man ne myhte noþer be þe lawe, ne be þe prophetes ben iiustified of his synne.
Note: New spelling