justifiable

[ juhs-tuh-fahy-uh-buh l, juhs-tuh-fahy- ]

/ ˈdʒʌs təˌfaɪ ə bəl, ˌdʒʌs təˈfaɪ- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR justifiable ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

capable of being justified; that can be shown to be or can be defended as being just, right, or warranted; defensible: justifiable homicide.

Nearby words

justicia, justiciable, justiciar, justiciary, justicoat, justifiable, justifiable homicide, justification, justification by grace, through faith, justification by works, justificatory

Origin of justifiable

From Middle French, dating back to 1515–25; see origin at justify, -able

Related forms

jus·ti·fi·a·bil·i·ty, jus·ti·fi·a·ble·ness, nounjus·ti·fi·a·bly, adverbun·jus·ti·fi·a·ble, adjectiveun·jus·ti·fi·a·ble·ness, noun

un·jus·ti·fi·a·bly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for unjustifiable

Cameron stood in the House of Commons and said that the events of the day were “unjustified and unjustifiable.”
How Long, How Long Did We Sing that Song?|Colum McCann|June 16, 2010|DAILY BEAST
It had all come from that man's unjustifiable interference,—as he would at once go and tell him.
Phineas Redux|Anthony Trollope
It would have been quite as unjustifiable to strip him to his skeleton as to his flesh.
Passages From the French and Italian Notebooks, Volume 2|Nathaniel Hawthorne
Such services are not usually paid for, and such an assumption on your part is unjustifiable.
The Faith Doctor|Edward Eggleston

This is unjustifiable in any case, and it is particularly so when the single cause that explains both cases is so evident.
Applied Eugenics|Paul Popenoe and Roswell Hill Johnson
Clearly in our modern sense of worship, this language would be unjustifiable.
English Past and Present|Richard Chevenix Trench

British Dictionary definitions for unjustifiable (1 of 2)

unjustifiable

/ (ʌnˈdʒʌstɪˌfaɪəbəl) /

adjective

not capable of being justified

Derived Forms

unjustifiably, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for unjustifiable (2 of 2)

justifiable

/ (ˈdʒʌstɪˌfaɪəbəl) /

adjective

capable of being justified; understandable

Derived Forms

justifiability or justifiableness, nounjustifiably, adverb

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