VI. WORDS RELATING TO THE SENTIMENT AND MORAL POWERS

IV. MORAL AFFECTIONS

2. Moral sentiments

Vindication.

[Nouns] vindication, justification, warant; exoneration, exculpation; acquittal [more]; whitewashing.

extenuation; palliation, palliative; softening, mitigation.

reply, defense; recrimination [more].

apology, gloss, varnish; plea [more]; salvo; excuse, extenuating circumstances; allowance, allowance to be made; locus paenitentiae.

apologist, vindicator, justifier; defendant [more].

justifiable charge, true bill.

justify, warrant; be an excuse for; lend a color, furnish a handle; vindicate; exculpate, disculpate; acquit [more]; clear, set right, exonerate, whitewash; clear the skirts of.

extenuate, palliate, excuse, soften, apologize, varnish, slur, gloze; put a gloss, put a good face upon; mince; gloss over, bolster up, help a lame dog over a stile.

advocate, defend, plead one's cause; stand up for, stick up for, speak up for; contend for, speak for; bear out, keep in countenance, support; plead, [more]; say in defense; plead ignorance; confess and avoid, propugn, put in a good word for.

take the will for the deed, make allowance for, do justice to; give one his due, give the Devil his due.

make good; prove the truth of, prove one's case; be justified by the event.

[Adjectives] vindicated, vindicating; exculpatory; apologetic.

excusable, defensible, pardonable; venial, veniable; specious, plausible, justifiable.

[Phrases] "honi sot qui mal y pense;" "good wine needs no bush."