justified

American  

[juhs-tuh-fahyd] / ˈdʒʌs təˌfaɪd /

adjective

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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noun

1. 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

1. the simple past tense and past participle of justify.

Other Word Forms

• half-justified adjective
• unjustified adjective
• well-justified adjective

Etymology

Origin of justified

justify ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Investors have started to question whether high AI spending from some of the largest technology companies in the world is justified, fearing there is an AI bubble waiting to burst.

From The Wall Street Journal

He justified his war on drugs by saying peace and order would pave the way for economic development.

From BBC

While the negative media play was partly justified, Duchenne muscular dystrophy has a poor prognosis.

From Barron's

The question for investors now is not whether gold’s price is justified, but what role gold is playing in portfolios.

From MarketWatch

“I don’t see how you defend this in any way, shape or form as justified,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• constitutional
• contractual
• fair
• juridical
• lawful
• legitimate
• proper
• statutory
• valid