justified

American

[juhs-tuh-fahyd] / ˈdʒʌs təˌfaɪd /

adjective

having been shown to be just or right.

If a parent sides with one child over another, one will feel righteous and justified, and the other will feel misunderstood and resentful.
warranted or well-grounded.

The commission’s stance is that bans on GMO crops must be scientifically justified and crop-specific.
I accept that there may be a penalty for justified civil disobedience, but I must weigh that penalty against the good that can be accomplished.
Printing. aligned with one or, especially, both margins.

Justified text looks a little neater, but there's nothing particularly wrong with having a ragged right edge.

noun

Theology. Usually the justified a person or persons believed to be worthy, redeemed, or absolved.

Good works are logically and morally necessary, for they are nothing more or less than the evidence that one is indeed among the justified.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of justify.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of justified

justify ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

In typesetting, the term justified refers to how words line up with the margins of a page or column. Whether you choose to make the text left, right, or fully justified depends on the purpose of the text. If you're typing a letter, you may want the date and your address to be right justified. The last character on each line would touch the right margin. The salutation (the part that says, "Dear Sir or Madam") would be left justified, with the D touching the left margin. The body of the letter could be left justified, with the right margin uneven, or fully justified, with both the right and left aligned.

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Vocabulary lists containing justified

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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.

County district attorney’s office will determine whether any criminal charges will be filed and if the shooting was legally justified.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2026

But for many lifelong Knicks fans the disruption was justified, as Thursday's parade marked an emotional culmination of years of following the team.

From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026

Going forward, this may convince oil traders that a large security premium in the price of oil may not be altogether justified.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026