VINDICATION

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

I. (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of vindicating or defending against criticism or censure etc.

Example:

friends provided a vindication of his position

Synonyms:

exoneration; vindication

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("vindication" is a kind of...):

clearing (the act of freeing from suspicion)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "vindication"):

justification (the act of defending or explaining or making excuses for by reasoning)

rehabilitation (vindication of a person's character and the re-establishment of that person's reputation)

Derivation:

vindicate (maintain, uphold, or defend)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The justification for some act or belief

Example:

he offered a persuasive defense of the theory

Synonyms:

defence; defense; vindication

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("vindication" is a kind of...):

justification (a statement in explanation of some action or belief)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "vindication"):

apologia; apology (a formal written defense of something you believe in strongly)

alibi ((law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that he or she could not have committed the crime in question)

alibi; exculpation; excuse; self-justification (a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.)

Derivation:

vindicate (show to be right by providing justification or proof)

vindicate (maintain, uphold, or defend)

Credits

Context examples:

Not that Marianne appeared to distrust the truth of any part of it, for she listened to it all with the most steady and submissive attention, made neither objection nor remark, attempted no vindication of Willoughby, and seemed to shew by her tears that she felt it to be impossible.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Elinor was to be the comforter of others in her own distresses, no less than in theirs; and all the comfort that could be given by assurances of her own composure of mind, and a very earnest vindication of Edward from every charge but of imprudence, was readily offered.