overjustify en · VERB
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Germanic *uber Old English ofer- Middle English over- English over- English justify English overjustify From over- + justify.
Meanings
- (transitive) To justify excessively; to provide too much justification for.
- (transitive) Specifically, to provide external incentive for an already-internally-motivated behavior, thereby risking the loss of the original motivation.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| overjustifies | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| overjustified | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| overjustified | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| overjustifying | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |