justifiable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of justifiable
From Middle French, dating back to 1515–25; see origin at justify, -able
Explanation
If something is justifiable, it was done for a good reason and is easily explained or defended. Your fear of gerbils is justifiable, given your experience with the mutant gerbil that ate your neighbor's dog. Justifiable means something is "able to be made just," and you'll hear the word often in legal contexts. "Justifiable homicide," for instance, is killing someone in self-defense — a situation where an act that is otherwise criminal is "made just" by the circumstances. You can also use the word in a more positive sense. For example, you can take justifiable pride in winning the race even though you started off running in the wrong direction.
Vocabulary lists containing justifiable
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
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myPerspectives 8.3
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The Most Beautiful Roof in the World
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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.
And economic analysis can bring some clarity as to what brought about such eye-watering ticket prices, whether they are justifiable and why many think them unfair.
From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2026
“He’s learning, he’s continuing — it probably would have been justifiable if he went off, right? But to keep his composure and stay positive, I think that’s only going to help him and this team.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2026
Taking a flier on a D-III pitcher was no longer justifiable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
"Against this background, it is justifiable to allow this attempt, and I thank the initiative for it."
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
It was the iced-over, heartless feeling that enables some people to do terrible things for what they believe are perfectly justifiable reasons.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
