justification

[ juhs-tuh-fi-key-shuhn ]

/ ˌdʒʌs tə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

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See synonyms for: justification / justifications on Thesaurus.com

noun

a reason, fact, circumstance, or explanation that justifies or defends: His insulting you was ample justification for you to leave the party.

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

the state of being justified.

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.

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.

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of justification

1350–1400; Middle English <Late Latin jūstificātiōn- (stem of jūstificātiō ), equivalent to jūstificāt(us), past participle of jūstificāre justify (see justificatory) + -iōn- -ion

OTHER WORDS FROM justification

pre·jus·ti·fi·ca·tion, nounre·jus·ti·fi·ca·tion, nounsu·per·jus·ti·fi·ca·tion, noun

Words nearby justification

justiciar, justiciary, justicoat, justifiable, justifiable homicide, justification, justification by grace, through faith, justification by works, justificatory, justified, justify

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use justification in a sentence

Politicians are good at finding justifications for doing things they said they wouldn’t.
What McConnell got — and didn’t — on the filibuster|Aaron Blake|January 26, 2021|Washington Post
A traffic violation was the overwhelming justification for a stop, followed by an officer’s reasonable suspicion that someone was engaged in criminal activity.
Why Complaints Against the Sheriff’s Department Are Surging|Jesse Marx|December 22, 2020|Voice of San Diego
As the Tampa Bay Times reports, this approach can provide algorithmic justification for further police harassment of minority and low-income communities.
How our data encodes systematic racism|Amy Nordrum|December 10, 2020|MIT Technology Review
They called on the state’s attorney and chief of police to sign off on any no-knock warrant, and for the department to require additional justification for serving a warrant at night.
Pr. George’s police reform group calls for more mental health resources, scrapping officer protections in misconduct investigations|Katie Mettler|December 4, 2020|Washington Post

They may contact observers to request specific details about unusual sightings, point out misidentifications, or ask for justification about higher-than-expected numbers reported for a particular species.
How eBird Changed Birding Forever|Jessie Williamson|December 4, 2020|Outside Online
Obama has latched on to the failure of the embargo to topple the Castros as justification to shuffle the deck.
Obama’s One Hand Clap With Castro|Doug McIntyre|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ironically, the same psychological crutch of self-justification can then help in these situations.
Why Didn’t Camille Dump Bill Cosby?|Amanda Marcotte|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How much of a “pass” do I get, if I claim a religious justification?
Catholic Church: Religious Freedom Trumps Civil Rights|Jay Michaelson|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I think maybe it was the justification he used for that and how he treated my mum for having what he thought was an affair.
Alan Cumming: The Truth About My Father|Tim Teeman|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But at the same time they were not without cause of justification.
‘The Good Wife’ Star Mike Colter Defends Lemond Bishop’s Killer Instincts|Kevin Fallon|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even if this colour scheme will not work, there is still a justification for the Asquithian phrase.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 107, November 3, 1894|Various
I think that the mere fact that my hair annoys Mr. Baxter is sufficient justification for its length.
First Plays|A. A. Milne
The evidence at our disposal, however, gives little justification for such a view.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
The peculiar history of the play is my only justification for giving you all these details of its otherwise unimportant career.
The Autobiography of a Play|Bronson Howard
But if there is no justification there is at least a very effective excuse in the mental confusedness of our time.
The New Machiavelli|Herbert George Wells

British Dictionary definitions for justification

justification

/ (ˌdʒʌstɪfɪˈkeɪʃən) /

noun

reasonable grounds for complaint, defence, etc

the act of justifying; proof, vindication, or exculpation

theol

the act of justifying
the process of being justified or the condition of having been justified

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

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

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

justification

Origin of justification

OTHER WORDS FROM justification

Words nearby justification

Words related to justification

How to use justification in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for justification