unjustifiable

adjective

un·​jus·​ti·​fi·​able ˌən-ˈjə-stə-ˌfī-ə-bəl How to pronounce unjustifiable (audio)
: unable to be justified : not excusable or justifiable
an unjustifiable decision
taking an unjustifiable risk
unjustifiable expenses
unjustifiably adverb
unjustifiably high prices

Examples of unjustifiable in a Sentence

an unjustifiable attack that must be avenged
Recent Examples on the Web One year on from the appalling, unjustifiable Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and Israel’s ongoing, disproportionate military assault and atrocities in Gaza, the whole Middle East is on the brink of a catastrophic regional war. Mary Robinson, TIME, 8 Oct. 2024 And lastly, we cannot be held hostage to the voices on the extreme, that are, voices that are applauding starvation and displacement, that encourage collective punishment, that defend the indefensible, that justify the unjustifiable. Abc News, ABC News, 25 Sep. 2024 Thanks to an unjustifiable special exemption from federal antikickback-corruption laws granted by Congress, PBMs are allowed to pocket massive drug-pricing rebates—often 40% and higher—instead of passing on those savings directly to patients. Steve Forbes, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024 That so many of these subtle strengths are undermined by poor structure, unjustifiable plotting, and an inattention to detail in basic storytelling is a real shame. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for unjustifiable 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unjustifiable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1674, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unjustifiable was in 1674

Dictionary Entries Near unjustifiable

Cite this Entry

“Unjustifiable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unjustifiable. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Legal Definition

unjustifiable

adjective
un·​jus·​ti·​fi·​able
ˌən-ˈjəs-tə-ˌfī-ə-bəl, -ˌjəs-tə-ˈfī-
: not justifiable
unjustifiably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on unjustifiable

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