justified
adjective
jus·ti·fied
ˈjə-stə-ˌfīd 
1
: having or shown to have a just, right, or reasonable basis
a justified punishment
a justified reputation for toughness
Such work calls for a combination of training and talent that few can lay justified claim to …—
Bernard Knox
Bernard Knox2
typography
a
: aligned evenly at the margin
a justified line of text
In justified composition, where the type must be flush with both the left and right margins, the machine will automatically expand or condense the word space or hyphenate end-of-line words to fill up the line measure.—Ray Blair and Thomas M. Destree
Ray Blair and Thomas M. Destree
b
: made even by spacing lines of text
a document with justified margins
Examples of justified in a Sentence
in a well-justified ruling the court voted unanimously to overturn the law
the use of force to capture the armed fugitive was fully justified
Recent Examples on the Web
Physicians and hospitals say their fees are justified, reflecting the true price of medical care.
—T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 12 Apr. 2025
Deadheads who bought tickets for an entire weekend’s worth of shows are no doubt feeling more justified in that decision, given how there will likely be unique visual content across all three nights at this point, in addition to the musical setlists consisting of no-repeat weekends.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 22 Mar. 2025
Historic Churches in New Mexico Photo: Getty Images Take a drive along New Mexico’s High Road to Taos and the state’s nickname (The Land of Enchantment) feels all too justified.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2025
The Trump administration has argued that the invocation of the law is a justified, lawful, and protects US interests.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for justified
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T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 12 Apr. 2025
Deadheads who bought tickets for an entire weekend’s worth of shows are no doubt feeling more justified in that decision, given how there will likely be unique visual content across all three nights at this point, in addition to the musical setlists consisting of no-repeat weekends.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 22 Mar. 2025
Historic Churches in New Mexico Photo: Getty Images Take a drive along New Mexico’s High Road to Taos and the state’s nickname (The Land of Enchantment) feels all too justified.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2025
The Trump administration has argued that the invocation of the law is a justified, lawful, and protects US interests.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for justified
Cite this Entry
“Justified.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justified. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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