“The ends justify the means” means that a worthwhile result is used to excuse the methods used to achieve it, even when those methods are wrong or harmful. The “ends” are the goals; the “means” are the actions taken to reach them.
What Does the Saying Claim?
Someone who uses this argument says that the benefit makes a questionable action acceptable. For example, a person might defend lying to win a contract because the contract would save jobs. Saving jobs is the end; lying is the means. The sentence describes the argument without proving that the lie is justified.
You will also hear the singular form, “the end justifies the means.” The meaning is the same, with one goal rather than several.
Examples in a Sentence
- “He cheated to win the contract, telling himself the ends justify the means.” The good result is his excuse for cheating.
- “They argue the ends justify the means, but I’m not sure any goal excuses that.” The speaker reports the argument and questions it.
- “In her view the ends justify the means, so she’ll do whatever it takes.” This warns that she is willing to use objectionable methods.
What Does “The Ends Don’t Justify the Means” Mean?
The opposite statement says that a desirable result does not excuse an unacceptable way of getting it. “Winning a scholarship matters, but the ends don’t justify the means” could reject cheating on the application.
The disagreement is about whether the goal excuses the method. People can agree that a goal is worthwhile and still reject the way someone pursues it.
Did Machiavelli Say It?
The expression is closely associated with Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince, first published in 1532. It is not a verbatim quotation from the book. In chapter 18, Machiavelli discusses how rulers are judged by appearances and results, and how a prince who gains and holds power may receive praise for the methods used.
That helps explain the association, but the short proverb leaves out the passage’s political setting. Calling any questionable everyday decision “what Machiavelli said” is much less precise than identifying the argument being made.
What About Ovid’s “Exitus Acta Probat”?
The Latin words exitus acta probat, often translated as “the outcome justifies the deeds,” occur in Ovid’s Heroides, letter 2, lines 85–86. Their context matters: Phyllis reports a judgement made about her, then objects to judging a deed from its result. The passage should not be quoted as a straightforward endorsement by Ovid of doing anything to achieve a goal.
Questions About the Argument
Does a good intention count as a good result?
No. An intention is what someone hopes to achieve; a result is what actually happens. Someone can mean well and still cause harm, which is why a good intention alone does not settle the argument.
Does the saying mean the methods are harmless?
No. It claims that the outcome excuses the methods. Those methods may still involve dishonesty, unfairness, or harm; whether the outcome can excuse them is the disputed point.
Similar and Contrasting Proverbs
- All’s fair in love and war makes a broad claim that ordinary rules may be set aside in those pursuits.
- You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs says that achieving something may involve a cost; it does not by itself establish that every cost is acceptable.
- Two wrongs don’t make a right rejects using one wrong to excuse another.
- The road to hell is paved with good intentions warns that intending good does not ensure a good outcome.
Explore our smart thoughts and proverbs and their meanings. Further references: Cambridge Dictionary and Grant Showerman’s translation of Ovid, letter 2.