to clear, as from an accusation, imputation, suspicion, or the like:
to vindicate someone's honor.
2.
to afford justification for; justify:
Subsequent events vindicated his policy.
3.
to uphold or justify by argument or evidence:
to vindicate a claim.
4.
to assert, maintain, or defend (a right, cause, etc.) against opposition.
5.
to claim for oneself or another.
6.
Roman and Civil Law. to regain possession, under claim of title of property through legal procedure, or to assert one's right to possession.
7.
to get revenge for; avenge.
8.
Obsolete. to deliver from; liberate.
9.
Obsolete. to punish.
Origin
1525-35; < Latinvindicātus (past participle of vindicāre to lay legal claim to (property), to free (someone) from servitude (by claiming him as free), to protect, avenge, punish), equivalent to vindic- (stem of vindex claimant, protector, avenger) + -ātus-ate1
Related forms
vindicator, noun
revindicate, verb (used with object), revindicated, revindicating.
self-vindicated, adjective
self-vindicating, adjective
unvindicated, adjective
Synonyms
1. exonerate. 3, 4. support.
Examples from the web for vindicate
Strict new fuel-economy standards will vindicate the business case.
He was never charged, and court records vindicate him.
He owed the publisher a popular book and he apparently feels no need to vindicate himself.
Every once in a while, you have a chance to vindicate all those best hopes you had about yourself.
There's enough truth in those charges to explain if not to vindicate them.
Every appearance goes to vindicate the conjecture that it has been in a state of eruption within less than five hundred years.
The merger was not necessary to permit the parties to achieve overriding efficiencies to vindicate the merger.
British Dictionary definitions for vindicate
vindicate
/ˈvɪndɪˌkeɪt/
verb (transitive)
1.
to clear from guilt, accusation, blame, etc, as by evidence or argument
2.
to provide justification for: his promotion vindicated his unconventional attitude
3.
to uphold, maintain, or defend (a cause, etc): to vindicate a claim
4.
(Roman law) to bring an action to regain possession of (property) under claim of legal title
5.
(rare) to claim, as for oneself or another
6.
(obsolete) to take revenge on or for; punish
7.
(obsolete) to set free
Derived Forms
vindicator, noun vindicatory, adjective
Word Origin
C17: from Latin vindicāre, from vindex claimant
Word Origin and History for vindicate
v.
1620s, "to avenge or revenge," from Latin vindicatus, past participle of vindicare (see vindication). Meaning "to clear from censure or doubt, by means of demonstration" is recorded from 1630s. Related: Vindicated, vindicating.