Justification
131in justification (of something) — in justifiˈcation (of sb/sth) idiom as an explanation of why sth exists or why sb has done sth • All I can say in justification of her actions is that she was under a lot of pressure at work. Main entry: ↑justificationidiom …
132self-justification — noun Date: circa 1775 the act or an instance of making excuses for oneself …