justifiable

play

adjective jus·ti·fi·able \ ˈjə-stə-ˌfī-ə-bəl \

Definition of justifiable

:capable of being justified :excusable

justifiable family pride
—Current Biography

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justifiability

play \ˌjə-stə-ˌfī-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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justifiably

play \ˈjə-stə-ˌfī-ə-blē\ adverb

Examples of justifiable in a Sentence

had justifiable reasons for leaving early

Recent Examples of justifiable from the Web

Almost anything that saves you net time, no matter how indulgent, is justifiable.

— the editors of gq, GQ, "How To Be Vain: A Modern Man's Grooming Guide," 30 Aug. 2017
The court noted that its decision conflicts with another Florida appellate decision about what kind of justifiable force immunity laws should apply to law enforcement officers who injure or kill suspects while on duty.

— Washington Post, "Court: no charge for deputy who shot man carrying air rifle," 30 Aug. 2017
The frenzied reaction was certainly justifiable: Kennedy is a full-on conspiracy theorist who, like the president, has long believed that vaccines are linked to autism and other disorders, despite all evidence to the contrary.

— benjamin hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Is Failing to Follow Through on Many of His Worst Ideas," 22 Aug. 2017
But the moral dilemma posed by the play — when is murder justifiable? — can’t be fully addressed unless the tragedy’s psychological, political and metaphysical levels are fused.

— charles mcnulty, latimes.com, "Who is Hamlet? Three actors make their case," 19 Aug. 2017
Just 2% of homicide cases are ruled justifiable overall.

— ellen mcgirt, Fortune, "Charlottesville, White People, and Racism," 16 Aug. 2017
Simpson’s attorneys also failed to offer a justifiable defense: breaking into a hotel room and threatening its occupants with guns is obviously criminal.

— michael mccann, PEOPLE.com, "O.J. Simpson Is Granted Parole: What’s Next for the Notorious Former NFL Star?," 20 July 2017
Of those, at least five have been ruled justifiable and therefore aren't deemed criminal.

— carol robinson, AL.com, "'Street justice is never the answer': Police ID man killed over child sex abuse claim," 16 July 2017
The Supreme Court ruled in its order that the government is likely to suffer irreparable harm if the travel ban is not imposed -- meaning the U.S. could be attacked by a national from one of the six countries, making a ban justifiable.

— kartikay mehrotra, Bloomberg.com, "What Now After Supreme Court Rules on Travel Ban?: QuickTake Q&A," 27 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'justifiable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.