vindication

vindication

English

WOTD – 30 April 2026

Etymology

From Late Middle English vendicacion, vyndicacion, vyndycacion (“assertion of a claim”),[1] from Old French vindication (“revenge, vengeance”) (modern dialectal French vindication), or from Medieval Latin vendicātio, both from Latin vindicātiō (“avenging; defence, protection, vindication; punishment; etc.”), from vindicō (“to avenge; to take revenge on; to protect from; etc.”)[2] + -tiō (suffix forming nouns from verbs, denoting processes, actions, or results of actions). Vindicō is derived from vindex (“claimant, vindicator; defender, protector”) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs); and vindex from vim (the accusative singular form of vīs (“force; power, strength; etc.”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyh₁- (“to chase, pursue; to persecute; to suppress”)) + dīcere (the present active infinitive of dīcō (“to declare, state; to refer to; to say, talk; etc.”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- (“to point out, show”)). By surface analysis, vindicate +‎ -ion (suffix denoting an action or process, or its result).

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌvɪndɪˈkeɪʃn̩/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˌvɪndəˈkeɪʃən/
  • Rhymes: -eɪʃən
  • Hyphenation: vin‧dic‧at‧ion

Noun

vindication (countable and uncountable, plural vindications)

  1. (countable) An act of asserting or maintaining; an assertion.
  2. (countable) An argument, fact, piece of evidence, etc., which vindicates (“clears someone of an accusation or suspicion; justifies a belief or claim by providing evidence or proof”).
    • 1704, Edward [Hyde, 1st] Earl of Clarendon, book X, in The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, Begun in the Year 1641. […], volume III, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed at the [Sheldonian] Theater, page 34:
      The Soldiers publiſh'd a vindication, as they call'd it, of their Proceedings and Reſolutions, and directed it to their General; in vvhich they complain'd of a deſign to disband, and nevv model the Army; […] This Apology, or Vindication, being ſign'd by many inferior Officers, the Parliament declared them to be Enemies of the State; and cauſed ſome of them vvho talked loudeſt, to be impriſon'd.
    • 1844 January–December, Leigh Hunt, “Return to Sicily and Mount Ætna”, in A Jar of Honey from Mount Hybla, London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 134:
      The great vindication of evil is, that (constituted as we are) we could not know so much joy, nor manifest so much virtue without it; and certainly, in instances like these, it fetches out, under circumstances of the extremest weakness, the most beautiful strength of the human heart.
  3. (uncountable) The action of vindicating; also, the state of being vindicated.
    Synonyms: absolution, (obsolete) avowance, exculpation, exoneration; see also Thesaurus:acquittal
    Antonym: nonvindication
    • 1705, J[oseph] Addison, “Pavia, Milan, &c.”, in Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 37:
      Among its [Milan's] Natural Curioſities I took particular notice of a Piece of Crystal, that enclos'd a couple of Drops, vvhich look'd like VVater vvhen they vvere ſhaken, tho' perhaps they are nothing but Bubbles of Air. […] The Famous Pere [Jean] Mabillon is novv engag'd in the Vindication of this Tear, vvhich a learned Eccleſiaſtic, in the Neighbourhood of Vendome, vvould have ſuppreſs'd, as a Falſe and ridiculous Relick, […]
    • 1709 July 20 (Gregorian calendar), Isaac Bickerstaff [et al., pseudonyms; Richard Steele], “Saturday, July 9, 1709”, in The Tatler, number 39; republished in [Richard Steele], editor, The Tatler, […], London stereotype edition, volume I, London: I. Walker and Co.;  […], 1822, →OCLC, page 238:
      These are the reasons which I have gathered from philosophy and nature; to which I can add other circumstances in vindication of the account of this learned body who publish this almanack.
      The spelling has been modernized.
    • 1837, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter XI, in Ernest Maltravers […] , volume I, London: Saunders and Otley, […], →OCLC, book I, page 111:
      [H]e was satisfied that Alice yet lived; he hoped she might yet escape and return. […] He enriched Mrs. Jones for life, in gratitude for her vindication of his lost and early love: he promised the amplest rewards for the smallest clue.
    • 1870 April–September, Charles Dickens, “More Confidences than One”, in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1870, →OCLC, page 44:
      "There, Jack, you hear! You would be afraid of him, under similar circumstances, wouldn't you, Miss Landless?" / "Not under any circumstances," returned Helena. / Jasper brought down his hands, looked over his shoulder, and begged to thank Miss Landless for her vindication of his character.
  4. (uncountable) A feeling of deserved satisfaction that comes from being proven correct.
    When they finally admitted their actions, Anne felt vindication and walked with pride once again.
  5. (countable, Ancient Rome, law, historical) A legal claim for a declaration that one is the owner of a thing or the holder of a right; an action in rem.
    Coordinate term: condiction
    • 1880, “Commentarivs Qvartvs [Fourth Comment]”, in James Muirhead, transl., The Institutes of Gaius and Rules of Ulpian. […], Edinburgh: T[homas] & T[homas] Clark, […], →OCLC, page 268:
      [T]here also lies against them the action whereby we claim a thing as ours. Actions in rem are called vindications; while those in which we contend that something ought to be given to or done for us are called condictions.
  6. (uncountable, obsolete)
    1. The action of avenging or taking revenge.
      • 1690, John Norris, “Christian Blessedness: Or, Discourses upon the Beatitudes. [Discourse the Third. Matth[ew] V. ver[se] v.]”, in Practical Discourses upon the Beatitudes of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. […], 4th edition, volume I, London: […] S. Manship […], published 1699, →OCLC, page 64:
        [P]ublick Vindication of Injuries is not only lavvful, but neceſſary; […] For, vvithout this there vvould be no living, and Human Society could never ſtand. But as to private Vindication of Injuries, that vvhich vve more eſpecially call Revenge, this I ſhall readily allovv to be utterly unlavvful, […]
    2. (rare) The action of setting free; deliverance.
      • 1613, Antony Sherley [i.e., Anthony Shirley], Sir Antony Sherley His Relation of His Travels into Persia. […], London: […] [Nicholas Okes and Melchisidec Bradwood] for Nathaniell Butter, and Ioseph Bagfet, →OCLC, page 7:
        [T]he peoples affection binding it ſelfe to their redeemer; beſides a neceſſity to keepe them vnited vnto him by the meanes of ſo abhorred a neighbour, from vvhom their vindication, into liberty, muſt bee maintained by their ovvne conſtancy: […]
    3. (rare) Punishment, retribution.
      • 1647, Thomas May, “A Briefe Relation of Some Grievances of the Kingdome. The Various Opinions of Men Concerning the Present Government. The Condition of the Court and Clergy of England. Some Observations of a Stranger, Concerning the Religion of the English People.”, in The History of the Parliament of England: Which Began November the Third, M. DC. XL. […], London: […] Moses Bell, for George Thomason, […], →OCLC, page 17:
        [T]hings carried ſo farre on in a vvrong vvay, muſt needs either inſlave themſelves and poſterity for ever, or require a vindication ſo ſharpe and ſmarting, as that the Nation vvould groane under it; […]

Derived terms

Translations

References

  1. ^ “vendicāciọ̄̆n, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ “vindication, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2025; “vindication, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

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