justifiable

1 of 2

adjective

jus·​ti·​fi·​able ˈjə-stə-ˌfī-ə-bəl 

: capable of being justified : excusable

… justifiable family pride.

—Current Biography

justifiability

ˌjə-stə-ˌfī-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

justifiably

ˈjə-stə-ˌfī-ə-blē 

adverb

justifiability

2 of 2

noun

jus·​ti·​fi·​abil·​i·​ty ˌjəstəˌfīəˈbilətē 

-ətē, 

-i

plural -es

: the quality of being justifiable

Synonyms of justifiable

Adjective

• legitimate
• acceptable
• supportable
• defendable
• viable
• rational
• reasonable
• maintainable
• defensible

Examples of justifiable in a Sentence

Adjective

had justifiable reasons for leaving early

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

There was a lot of justifiable angst leading into this summer’s tournament, from ticket prices to politics to something as simple as the vibes feeling deeply off. — Emily Olsen, New York Times, 16 June 2026

While some of the public comments veer into conspiracy-territory, the vast majority surveyed by Futurism express some justifiable anxiety at the idea of a for-profit tech giant spearheading a project like this. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 4 June 2026

Paul's insistence that Usyk lost is justifiable. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026

And there may be perfectly justifiable reasons. — CBS News, 17 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1561, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for justifiable

• liable
• pliable
• triable
• viable
• classifiable
• modifiable
• notifiable
• satisfiable
• specifiable
• undeniable
• unreliable
• verifiable

Legal Definition

justifiable

adjective

jus·​ti·​fi·​able ˌjəs-tə-ˈfī-ə-bəl 

: capable of being justified

justifiable reliance