justified
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.
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.
the simple past tense and past participle of justify.
Origin of justified
1Other words from justified
- half-jus·ti·fied, adjective
- un·jus·ti·fied, adjective
- well-jus·ti·fied, adjective
Words Nearby justified
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use justified in a sentence
It’s not easy to justify spending hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars on a mission that could be over in a matter of hours and not give us what we need.
We need to go to Venus as soon as possible | Neel Patel | September 16, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewIn its statement, the NLRB points to this precedent to justify refusing to turn over the documents sought by the House committee.
“Cover Up”: House Democrats Subpoena Documents That NLRB Refused to Share in Ethics Investigation | by Ian MacDougall | September 15, 2020 | ProPublicaTo justify the vaccine’s emergency use, the CEO explained it would help ensure the company’s workers could continue to produce vaccines.
China has quietly vaccinated more than 100,000 people for Covid-19 before completing safety trials | Lili Pike | September 11, 2020 | VoxHere, Kitchell based its recommendation on actual inspection and analysis, but recommended the most expensive option possible, which is not required by current codes or justified by reasonable safety concerns.
Flaws and Assumptions Render 101 Ash St. Assessment Meaningless | Sandor Shapery | September 10, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoThere’s no new science to justify removing SIRVA from the list of covered injuries.
Gutting this federal program could undermine Americans’ confidence in a COVID vaccine | jakemeth | September 6, 2020 | Fortune
And, in the case of fluoride, at least, that doubt might actually be justified.
Certainly, this response would be understandable and even justified if de Blasio had in fact attacked the police.
The NY Police Union’s Vile War with Mayor De Blasio | Michael Tomasky | December 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThese detainments were often justified by laws that do not mention pregnancy specifically.
Court Says Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Isn’t a Crime | Elizabeth Picciuto | December 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd sure, we can debate whether from a legal point of view these shootings were justified.
I do not support the belief that violent protest is justified regardless of the outcome of the Ferguson grand jury.
Justice Was Served in Ferguson—This Isn’t Jim Crow America | Ron Christie | November 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBe this as it may, his conduct during the campaign justified the suspicion with which he was regarded by friend and foe.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-PattisonHis disposition was to trust those around him, and his generous confidence was usually justified.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland | Joseph TatlowDuring two years following, this prediction might well have appeared to moderate minded men entirely justified.
The Eve of the Revolution | Carl BeckerNow, the question is, whether these men are justified by the fact; and if not, what situation do they place themselves in?
Oliver Twist, Vol. II (of 3) | Charles DickensIn like manner if the landlord is to furnish heat and fails to do so, the tenant is justified in leaving.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman | Albert Sidney Bolles
Browse