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
The shooting has stirred fear among some Americans that Trump is trying to harness outrage over the killing as justification to suppress the voices of his critics and political opponents.
—
Jonathan J. Cooper, Twin Cities, 22 Sep. 2025
Early that morning at the Ashmont MBTA station, Bartlett physically assaulted a homeless man without legal justification – striking the victim in the leg three times with a steel police baton.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
The shooting also has stirred fear among some Americans that Trump is trying to harness outrage over the killing as justification to suppress the voices of his critics and political opponents.
—Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2025
This odd justification—faulting Warner and Kaine for their bipartisanship—should fool no one.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for justification
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Jonathan J. Cooper, Twin Cities, 22 Sep. 2025
Early that morning at the Ashmont MBTA station, Bartlett physically assaulted a homeless man without legal justification – striking the victim in the leg three times with a steel police baton.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
The shooting also has stirred fear among some Americans that Trump is trying to harness outrage over the killing as justification to suppress the voices of his critics and political opponents.
—Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2025
This odd justification—faulting Warner and Kaine for their bipartisanship—should fool no one.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for justification
Cite this Entry
“Justification.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justification. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
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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