v. Also 6–7 as pa. pple. [f. L. vindicāt-, ppl. stem of vindicāre (also vendicāre: see VENDICATE v.) to claim, to set free, to punish, etc., f. vim, acc. sing. of vis force + dic-, stem of dīcĕre to say. Cf. It. vindicare, Sp. and Pg. vindicar, F. vendiquer.]
† 1. trans. a. To exercise in revenge. Obs.–1
1533. Bellenden, Livy (S.T.S.), II. 326. Praying þam to provid þat þe peple vindicat na Ire nor wraith [altered to vse na vengeance nor punycioun] on þam.
† b. To avenge or revenge (a person, cause, wrong, etc.). Obs.
1623. Cockeram, I. Vindicate, to reuenge.
1655. Stanley, Hist. Philos., I. (1687), 17/2. Solon declared, that it behoved them … that they should vindicate the Gods cause.
1660. Ingelo, Bentiv. & Ur., II. (1682), 164. Resolving by God’s assistance to vindicate his Wrongs.
1665. Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (1677), 67. News … being brought King Achbar that Mirza Sharoph … had been injured by the Ouzbeg Tartar; the King resolves to vindicate him.
1713. Swift, Cadenus & Vanessa, Wks. 1755, III. II. 18. But Cupid, full of mischief, longs To vindicate his mother’s wrongs.
† c. To punish; to visit with punishment. Obs.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., VIII. 367. There are seuerall Seates of Iustice heere (though none to vindicate beastlinesse).
1659. Pearson, Creed, i. 86. God is more powerfull to exact subiection, and to vindicate rebellion.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low C. Wars, 974. Private Trespasses should be vindicated upon the Authors thereof themselves, or else where they lived.
1770. Burke, Pres. Discont., 8. Because our grievances are … not precisely those which we bore from the Tudors, or vindicated on the Stuarts.
† 2. To make or set free; to deliver or rescue. Usually const. from. Obs. (common 1620–60).
1568–72. (title), The Warkis of … Schir Dauid Lyndesay…. Newly correctit, and vindicate from the former Errouris quhairwith thay war befoir corruptit.
1570. Buchanan, Admon., Wks. (S.T.S.), 22. How ȝe haue vindicat this realme out of thraldome of strangearis.
1613. Sir A. Sherley, Trav. Persia, 85. Nothing will giue you more honour then … First to vindicate those places, in which your religion is oppressed.
1620–51. I. Jones, Stone-Heng (1655), 2. To vindicate, as much as in me lies, the Founders of this venerable Antiquity from oblivion.
1650. Ashmole, Arcanum, in Fasc. Chem., 166. A faithfull … Teacher, that may make the clear Sun conspicuous unto them, and vindicate their eies from darknesse.
1665. Needham, Med. Medicinæ, 267. The Liquor ferments, and is vindicated from Putrefaction and Stagnation.
1756. Burke, Vind. Nat. Soc., Wks. 1842, I. 21. We should renounce their dreams of society, together with their visions of religion, and vindicate ourselves into perfect liberty.
1761. Hume, Hist. Eng., I. xiii. 328. His successful valour seemed to vindicate the nation from the ignominy into which it had fallen by its tame submission.
absol. 1628. Gaule, Pract. The. (1629), 110. Cæsar vindicates from a knowne Enemie; Christ redeemes from a secret Aduersarie.
3. To clear from censure, criticism, suspicion or doubt, by means of demonstration; to justify or uphold by evidence or argument.
a. 1635. Naunton, Fragm. Reg. (Arb.), 61. And so I shall onely vindicate the scandall of his death, and conclude him.
1651. Baxter, Inf. Bapt., 150. O that God would find out some way to vindicate his own honor, and clear his cause.
1691. Langbaine, Acc. Eng. Poets, Pref. I might be capable of doing them better Service, in vindicating their Fame.
1736. Butler, Anal., II. viii. 389. The design of this treatise is not to vindicate the character of God.
1776. Sir J. Reynolds, Disc. (1778), 280. Poussin … is said to have vindicated the conduct of Julio Romano for his inattention to the masses of light and shade.
1782. Miss Burney, Cecilia, V. ii. I don’t mean to vindicate what has happened.
1817. Jas. Mill, Brit. India, I. II. ix. 413. Mr. Playfair admits that the Indian tables cannot be entirely vindicated in this respect.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xvii. IV. 75. Those who had effected this Revolution thought it prudent to send a deputation to France for the purpose of vindicating their proceedings.
1884. L’pool Mercury, 18 Feb., 5/2. He has no secret treaties to vindicate, no occult motives to gloss over in dubious pleadings.
b. With personal object.
1646. Crashaw, Steps to Temple, Treatise Charity, 13. These learned leaves shall vindicate to thee Thy holiest, humblest, hand-maid Charitie.
1659. in Burton’s Diary (1828), IV. 338. I rise up to vindicate the Committee.
1675. Baxter, Cath. Theol., II. II. 238. I must be so far justified, that is, vindicated against Calumny by my innocency in those points.
1702. C. Mather, Magn. Chr., III. iii. (1852), 536. The mention of this gives me an opportunity … also to vindicate another great man unto the churches of our Lord Jesus Christ.
refl. 1639. Massinger, Unnat. Combat, IV. i. The torch that feeds them was not lighted at Thy altars, Cupid. Vindicate thyself, And do not own it!
a. 1648. Ld. Herbert, Hen. VIII. (1683), 232. It was thought, by some, he might haue Vindicated himself in great part.
1679. J. Smith, Narr. Popish Plot, 19. There being no way left to vindicate themselves, or discredit their Accusers, save the making their recourse to lies.
1828. D’Israeli, Chas. I., II. v. 130. He could have vindicated himself, if his enemies had chosen to be his listeners.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., v. I. 661. The wicked judge and the wicked king attempted to vindicate themselves by throwing the blame on each other.
c. Const. from (a charge, imputation, etc.).
1664. H. More, Apol., in Myst. Iniq., 487. Those more notable Philosophick Truths in the Scripture doth … vindicate her from that vile Imputation of Ignorance in Philosophy.
1675. J. Howe, Living Temple, I. ii. 20. He makes Velleius highly vindicate from this imputation.
1700. Locke, Hum. Und. (ed. 4), IV. viii. 367. But how that vindicates the making use of Identical Propositions for the Improvement of Knowledge, from the Imputation of Trifling, I do not see.
1723. J. Dart, Westmonasterium, I. 87. This I here mention to vindicate my self from those Mistakes of which I am not guilty.
1798. Ferriar, Illustr. Sterne, etc., 37. I must vindicate Sterne from a charge of plagiarism.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, xxix. When he vindicated him from the suspicions thrown out by Guarine.
1845. M. Pattison, Ess. (1889), I. 18. He turned all his defence to vindicate himself from the charge of treason.
1891. Speaker, 2 May, 526/2. It is … the first serious attempt that has been made to vindicate Horace Walpole from the aspersions of Macaulay and his followers.
d. To provide justification for (something); to justify by facts or results. Also with personal object.
1702. Farquhar, Twin Rivals, IV. iv. For Heav’n’s sake, Mr. Richmore, what have I ever shewn to vindicate this presumption of yours?
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, V. vi. The infidelity of Molly … would perhaps have vindicated a much greater degree of resentment than he expressed on the occasion.
a. 1763. Shenstone, Ess., Wks. 1765, II. 203. One should not destroy an insect … without a reason sufficient to vindicate one through all the courts of morality.
1836. J. Gilbert, Chr. Atonem., vii. (1852), 205. The mere fact of voluntariness is insufficient to vindicate the justice of allowing the assumed responsibility.
1882. Pebody, Eng. Journalism, xx. 150. No man has more brilliantly vindicated the sagacity which placed him in a position of power and responsibility.
4. To assert, maintain, make good, by means of action, esp. in one’s own interest; to defend against encroachment or interference.
1650. Marvell, Horatian Ode, 62. He nothing common did, or mean,… Nor called the gods with vulgar spite To vindicate his helpless right.
1654. Bramhall, Just Vind., i. (1661), 4. That … they … vindicate that liberty left them as an inheritance by their Ancestours, from the incroachments … of the Court of Rome.
1671. Milton, P. R., II. 47. Arise and vindicate Thy Glory, free thy people from thir yoke.
1738. Wesley, Ps. LXXX. ii. Stir up thy Strength, thine Arm make bare, And vindicate thy chosen Race.
1777. Robertson, Hist. Amer., VI. (1778), 196. He thought the happy period was at length come for vindicating his own rights.
1821. Syd. Smith, Wks. (1859), I. 394/2. Prevention of intrusion upon private property is a right which every proprietor may act upon, and use force to vindicate.
1875. Stubbs, Const. Hist., II. 4. The liberties of the nation are not yet vindicated.
5. To claim as properly belonging to oneself or another; to assert or establish possession of (something) for oneself or another.
1680. Dryden, Ovid’s Ep., Pref., Ess. (ed. Ker), I. 235. It appears not from their writings, that any of the Grecians ever touched upon this way, which our poet therefore justly has vindicated to himself.
1737. Gentl. Mag., VII. 332. Though Christ’s Appeal to the 110th vindicates that Psalm to David, it vindicates none else.
1822. T. Taylor, Apuleius, 218. Exciting a frivolous controversy about the boundaries of the fields, he vindicated the whole of the land to himself.
1855. Prescott, Philip II., I. (1857), 76. Paul the Fourth, one of those remarkable men, who … have vindicated to themselves a permanent place in history.
1858. Hawthorne, Fr. & It. Note-bks., II. 42. Grand enough to vindicate for him all the genius that the world gave him credit for.
1884. Schaff’s Encycl. Relig. Knowl., III. 2466/1. Robert Flint … vindicates him [sc. Voltaire] an honorable place in the development of the philosophy of history.
b. Without const.: To claim for oneself or as one’s rightful property.
1725. Pope, Odyss., IV. 224. Affianc’d in your friendly power alone, The youth wou’d vindicate the vacant throne. Ibid. (1733), Ess. Man, III. 38. Is thine alone the seed that strews the plain? The birds of heav’n shall vindicate their grain.
1781. Cowper, Truth, 490. The soul … Can … Possess herself of all that’s good or true, Assert the skies, and vindicate her due.
1807. J. Barlow, Columb., III. 850. The wide-beak’d hawk, that now beholds me die, Soon … my flesh shall tear, And wolves and tigers vindicate their share.
c. spec. in Law. Also absol.
a. 1859. Austin, Jurispr. (1863), III. 207. A right to vindicate or recover the subject from any who may be in the possession of it.
1880. Muirhead, Rules Ulpian, xxv. § 17. The senate has decreed that he shall not be entitled to deduct his fourth, nor yet … to vindicate gifts under the testament that have become caducous. Ibid. (1880), Gaius, II. § 24. When he has thus vindicated, the praetor asks the cedent whether he makes any counter-vindication.
Hence Vindicated ppl. a.; Vindicating vbl. sb. and ppl. a.; Vindicatingly adv.
1624. Gataker, Transubst., 42. The vindicating of this piece of antiquity to his right Author.
1642. Drumm. of Hawth., Skiamachia, Wks. (1711), 191. The equity of his taking of arms, for the vindicating of his crown and state from the implacable malice of those men.
1700. Prior, Carm. Sec., xv. To rescu’d States, and vindicated Crowns His Equal Hand prescrib’d their ancient Bounds.
1724. A. Shields, Life Renwick (1827), 177. Instead of a reproached Minister, we got a vindicated Martyr.
1850. Mrs. Browning, Sonn. fr. Portuguese, xi. I obtain From that same love this vindicating grace, To live on still in love.
1891. Meredith, One of our Conq., xii. Her mother required schooling to tell the story vindicatingly and proudly.
