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
Lawmakers passed a law allowing them in 2015, but a historic outbreak in rural Scott County was both the catalyst and the justification.
—
Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 13 Feb. 2026
Lyons pointed to case law as justification for the use of administrative warrants, which Blumenthal rebuffed.
—The Hill, 12 Feb. 2026
Past administrations offered legal and moral justifications for military inventions, such as the Bush administration’s claims that Iraq was a just war.
—Gerard F. Powers, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the House lawmakers who reviewed unredacted versions of the Epstein files yesterday say at least six powerful figures were improperly shielded without clear legal justification.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for justification
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Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 13 Feb. 2026
Lyons pointed to case law as justification for the use of administrative warrants, which Blumenthal rebuffed.
—The Hill, 12 Feb. 2026
Past administrations offered legal and moral justifications for military inventions, such as the Bush administration’s claims that Iraq was a just war.
—Gerard F. Powers, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the House lawmakers who reviewed unredacted versions of the Epstein files yesterday say at least six powerful figures were improperly shielded without clear legal justification.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for justification
Cite this Entry
“Justification.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justification. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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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