justification

[juhs-tuh-fi-key-shuhn]

noun

1. a reason, fact, circumstance, or explanation that justifies or defends.

   His insulting you was ample justification for you to leave the party.

2. an act of justifying.

   The painter's justification of his failure to finish on time didn't impress me.

3. the state of being justified.

4. Also called justification by faith. Theology.,  the act of God whereby humankind is made or accounted just, or free from guilt or penalty of sin.

5. Printing.,  the spacing of words and letters within a line of type so that all full lines in a column have even margins both on the left and on the right.

justification

/ ˌdʒʌstɪfɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. reasonable grounds for complaint, defence, etc

2. the act of justifying; proof, vindication, or exculpation

3. theol

   1. the act of justifying

   2. the process of being justified or the condition of having been justified

4. Also called: justification by faith. Protestant theol the doctrine that God vindicates only those who repent and believe in Jesus

5. printing computing the process of adjusting interword spacing in text or data so that both right and left margins are straight

6. computing the process of moving data right or left so that the first or last character occurs in a predefined position

Other Word Forms

• prejustification noun
• rejustification noun
• superjustification noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of justification¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin jūstificātiōn-, stem of jūstificātiō, from jūstificāt(us) “justified” (past participle of jūstificāre; justify ) + -iō -ion ( def. )

Example Sentences

A better solution would have been to include the copious justifications that John Lennon and Yoko Ono offered at the time, noting as well that their radical friends understood their intentions.

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Speaking at the U.N., da Silva said, “there is no justification for unilateral and arbitrary measures against our institutions and our economy.”

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Johnson has delayed swearing her in, most recently citing his colleagues’ absence amid the government shutdown as a justification.

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Local leaders, including those in Portland, have said the actions are unnecessary and without legal justification.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

As for legal justification, the president’s lawyers pointed to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977.

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Related Words

• apology 
• approval 
• argument 
• basis 
• confirmation 
• explanation 
• pretext 
• rationale 
• rationalization 
• vindication