justification
noun
jus·ti·fi·ca·tion
ˌjə-stə-fə-ˈkā-shən 
1
a
: the act or an instance of justifying something : vindication
arguments offered in justification of their choice
b
: an acceptable reason for doing something : something that justifies an act or way of behaving
could provide no justification for his decision
2
: the act, process, or state of being justified by God (see justify sense 2a)
3
: the process or result of justifying lines of text (see justify sense 3a)
software that provides automatic justification of text
Examples of justification in a Sentence
He tried to present a justification for his behavior.
There is no possible justification for what she did.
His behavior is without justification.
Recent Examples on the Web
Cannon, appointed to the bench by Trump, cited pending pretrial motions, issues involving how classified evidence would be used in the case, and other pretrial and trial preparations as justification for delaying the trial.
—
Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 31 May 2024
In 2021, as Mr. Putin began mobilizing the military forces that would invade Ukraine, Mr. Dougan posted a video that the Kremlin would cite as one justification for its attack.
—Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 29 May 2024
Remarkably, though, over 100 years later, those three justifications are still among those that animate the far-right today—even though the range of targets has broadened.
—TIME, 14 May 2024
There is no justification for the Israelis to punish Palestinians who have committed no crimes.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 10 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for justification 
Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 31 May 2024
In 2021, as Mr. Putin began mobilizing the military forces that would invade Ukraine, Mr. Dougan posted a video that the Kremlin would cite as one justification for its attack.
—Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 29 May 2024
Remarkably, though, over 100 years later, those three justifications are still among those that animate the far-right today—even though the range of targets has broadened.
—TIME, 14 May 2024
There is no justification for the Israelis to punish Palestinians who have committed no crimes.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 10 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for justification
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'justification.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near justification
Cite this Entry
“Justification.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justification. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
justification
noun
jus·ti·fi·ca·tion
ˌjəs-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən
1
: the act or an instance of justifying or of being justified
2
: something that justifies : defense
Legal Definition
justification
noun
jus·ti·fi·ca·tion
ˌjəs-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən
1
: the act or an instance of justifying
2
: something that justifies
specifically
: a legally sufficient reason or cause (as self-defense) for an act that would otherwise be criminal or tortious
3
: the affirmative defense of having a legally sufficient justification compare excuse
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