1. To clear someone or something of blame, guilt, suspicion, or doubt: The confession of the real criminal immediately vindicated Jasper who the police had held for questioning about the break-in of the local jewelry store.
2. To show that someone or something is justified or correct: Marilyn checked with a dictionary resource to vindicate the unusual spelling of a word in her essay.
3. To clear from censure, criticism, suspicion, or doubt, by means of demonstration; to justify or uphold by evidence or argument: The new evidence that was presented in the criminal trial immediately vindicated the defense lawyer's position that her client was innocent.
4. To assert, to maintain, to make good, by means of action; especially, in one's own interest; to defend against encroachment or interference: The doctor's prognosis of the severity of the patient's illness was vindicated by a specialist.
5. Etymology: back formation from vim dictam accusative form of vis dicta, literally "announced force"; that is, "announcement of force".

From "to avenge" or "to revenge", from Latin vindicatus, the past participle form of vindicare, "to set free, to lay claim to, to assert, to avenge" which came from vim, accusative of vis, "force" + the root of dicere, "to say".

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