To justify means to

• A. to explain or defend one's position or reasoning
• B. to adjust one's text so that the right and left edges of a document are equal
• C. to prove something to be correct
• D. to ignore a claim

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is the meaning of justify as giving reasons to support a claim. To justify something is to explain why it is reasonable or defend your position with evidence or logic. It’s about backing up what you think or did, not just proving it true or ignoring a claim.

For example, you might justify arriving late by explaining the traffic was severe, or justify a budget decision by outlining expected benefits. This emphasis on reasoning and defense is what makes the sense described here the best fit.

There is another use of the word in typography—to justify text means to align it so the right and left edges are even—but that’s a different sense that isn’t about reasoning. The other options describe trying to prove something or ignoring a claim, which aren’t what justify means in the common sense of defending or explaining a position.