✅ Vindicate

Meaning: To clear someone from blame or suspicion; to prove someone right or justified

Tone: Positive or neutral

Example: She was vindicated when the truth came out and everyone saw she was innocent

❌ Vindictive

Meaning: Having or showing a strong desire for revenge; being spiteful

Tone: Negative

Example: He made a vindictive comment just to hurt her feelings

🧠 Quick Trick to Remember

Vindicate = Victory (You’re proven right)

Vindictive = Vengeance (You want payback)

They both come from the Latin root vindicare, which originally had meanings related to claiming, punishing, or defending—but over time, they split into very different emotional directions