the end justifies the means
idiom
—used to say that a desired result is so good or important that any method, even a morally bad one, may be used to achieve it
They believe that the end justifies the means and will do anything to get their candidate elected.
Examples of the end justifies the means in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If a few girls die in the process of investigating her hypothesis, well, that’s a shame, but for Gretchen, the end justifies the means.
—
Judy Berman, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024
Even if the end justifies the means, there’s something icky about the whole thing.
—Tanyel Mustafa, refinery29.com, 6 Sep. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Judy Berman, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024
Even if the end justifies the means, there’s something icky about the whole thing.
—Tanyel Mustafa, refinery29.com, 6 Sep. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near the end justifies the means
Cite this Entry
“The end justifies the means.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20end%20justifies%20the%20means. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share