Vindicate
v.resilient, hopefulformal
What it means
To clear from blame or prove to be right.
Reach for it when showing that evidence clears someone or proves a challenged judgment correct
New photographs may vindicate the driver accused of carelessness.
Choose between these
6- everyday
plain language suits removal of suspicion
not when Clear can mean acquit without proving who was responsible.
- warm
prove right
later evidence confirms a disputed prediction
not when Being right does not mean being blameless.
- professional
justify
reasons make a choice defensible
not when Justification may concede that harm occurred.
- professional
findings support an approach or feeling
not when Validation is wrong for clearing criminal blame.
- formal
evidence removes blame for wrongdoing
not when Exoneration does not validate every related decision.
- literary
responsibility or guilt is formally removed
not when Absolution can sound religious or moral.
Said against
3- implicate
- condemn
- disprove
It naturally appears in
3- vindicate a decision
The later inspection helped vindicate the decision to close the bridge.
- fully vindicate
Unedited footage would fully vindicate the accused volunteer.
- vindicate her judgment
The successful evacuation vindicated her judgment about the storm.
The word family
1Where this comes from
- Wiktionary, English verb, clear from blame or justify sense opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.