Lucy got money for the orphanage by embezzling it from the firm where she worked. “The end justifies the means,” she told herself.
•The politician clearly believed that the end justifies the means, since he used all kinds of nefarious means to get elected.
Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.
end justifies the means — See the end justifies the means … English idioms
(the) end justifies the means — the end justifies the means phrase any methods, even bad ones, are allowed in order to achieve what you want, especially something good Thesaurus: describing or relating to ways of doing thingshyponym systems and methods for doing thingssynonym… … Useful english dictionary
the end justifies the means — Cf. OVID Heroides ii. 85 exitus acta probat, the outcome justifies the deeds. The negative of this is also often asserted. 1583 G. BABINGTON Exposition of Commandments 260 The ende good, doeth not by and by make the meanes good. 1718 M. PRIOR… … Proverbs new dictionary
(the) end justifies the means. — something that you say which means that in order to achieve an important aim, it is acceptable to do something bad. Unfortunately, we ll have to cut down the forest to make space for the golf course, but I feel the end justifies the means … New idioms dictionary
the end justifies the means — any method is fine if the result is good If a person steals food to survive, does the end justify the means? … English idioms
the end justifies the means — results give reason to the actions performed in the achieving of these results … English contemporary dictionary
end justifies the means — actions or methods that are wrong from a moral point of view are at times necessary in order to obtain morally right results or effects … English contemporary dictionary
the end justifies the means — any methods, even bad ones, are allowed in order to achieve what you want, especially something good … English dictionary
end — {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun 1 furthest part of sth ADJECTIVE ▪ bottom, lower ▪ top, upper ▪ back, hind (esp. AmE), rear … Collocations dictionary
means — noun 1 method of doing sth ADJECTIVE ▪ appropriate, convenient, effective, efficient, reliable, useful ▪ an effective means of mass communication ▪ … Collocations dictionary
end */*/*/ — I UK [end] / US noun [countable] Word forms end : singular end plural ends Get it right: end: People often confuse the phrases at the end and in the end. In the end is similar to finally or eventually. Use it when you are saying what happens… … English dictionary
