- vindication, exoneration - the act of vindicating or defending against criticism or censure etc.; "friends provided a vindication of his position"
--1 is a kind of clearing
--1 has particulars: justification; rehabilitationDerived form: verb vindicate2 - defense, defence, vindication - the justification for some act or belief; "he offered a persuasive defense of the theory"
--2 is a kind of justification
--2 has particulars:apology, apologia; alibi; excuse, alibi, exculpation, self-justification Derived forms: verb vindicate2, verb vindicate1