justification
Americannoun
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a reason, fact, circumstance, or explanation that justifies or defends.
His insulting you was ample justification for you to leave the party.
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an act of justifying.
The painter's justification of his failure to finish on time didn't impress me.
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the state of being justified.
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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.
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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.
noun
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reasonable grounds for complaint, defence, etc
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the act of justifying; proof, vindication, or exculpation
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theol
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the act of justifying
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the process of being justified or the condition of having been justified
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Also called: justification by faith. Protestant theol the doctrine that God vindicates only those who repent and believe in Jesus
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printing computing the process of adjusting interword spacing in text or data so that both right and left margins are straight
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computing the process of moving data right or left so that the first or last character occurs in a predefined position
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of justification
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin jūstificātiōn-, stem of jūstificātiō, from jūstificāt(us) “justified” (past participle of jūstificāre; see justify) + -iō -ion ( def. )
Explanation
Close in meaning to an explanation, a justification is specifically for defending or explaining an event. The idea that he was just trying to scare his little sister was a pretty weak justification for the elaborate gag. Like its close cousin "justice," justification is derived from the Latin justificare, which means "to make right." When you offer a justification, you're trying to make something right—or, perhaps, even just. The notion that animals don't have emotions is one of the key justifications for allowing them to suffer. For many people, though, the fact that they suffer is justification enough to prevent it.
Vocabulary lists containing justification
You Be the Judge: Jud, Jur, Jus
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A Monster Calls
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A Lesson Before Dying
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
This fear—that sudden exchange-rate swings in Japan would trigger tidal waves across global financial markets—is a primary justification for Treasury to join the interventions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
The justification was Canada's alleged discriminatory treatment of US exports, with duties effective after a month.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
"The goalposts have moved so many times now that the credibility of any justification has long since gone."
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Trump reportedly shared the same justification in a phone call with NewsNation correspondent Hannah Brandt.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
Marsha was shocked that law enforcement would do something so upsetting without justification.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Yet along the way there’s been an attempt by economists to backfill formal theoretical justifications for the relatively new status quo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
Even so, Muzaffar Chishti of the Migration Policy Institute said that the executive branch has vast discretion in immigration law, particularly when invoking national security justifications, and defense attorneys may face an uphill battle.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
To be sure, there are justifications for the enthusiasm.
From Barron's ● Apr. 15, 2026
Dorsey's justifications drew plenty of sceptics, who pointed out that he has presided over at least two rounds of mass job cuts in the last two years and never mentioned AI.
From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2026
Without its own justifications, the Dream would collapse upon itself.
From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
