unjustified
Britishadjective
Explanation
Whether it’s unjustified violence, an unjustified complaint, or an unjustified belief, you can use the word unjustified when something just isn’t right or seems to have no reason behind it. When you break apart the word unjustified, it’s easy to see what it means. You’re probably familiar with the prefix un-, which here means “not.” And justified contains just, meaning “fair.” So something that's unjustified is not fair or not right, such as an unjustified action like damaging someone's property or the unjustified praise for someone who has taken credit for another person's efforts.
Vocabulary lists containing unjustified
John F. Kennedy's Address to the American People on the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "U"
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Korematsu v. United States (1944)
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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.
“Shifting wildfire costs to local governments is unjustified when utilities continue to generate significant profits and return billions to shareholders,” the association said in a brief recently sent to lawmakers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
The vast majority of accused parents will be vindicated, but only after a stressful, unjustified process.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Consumer rights body Which?, who had previously highlighted Ryanair's seating policy, said it should not have had to report the "unjustified charges" to the CMA to prompt action.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
Sybiga said on Friday he planned to return an award he received from Poland in 2022 after the "unjustified, impulsive and disrespectful" decision.
From Barron's ● Jun. 20, 2026
In the back of his head, he knew that his reaction was irrational, unjustified, but...but he couldn’t explain to Koffi the way he felt—unmoored, off-kilter, unsettled.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
