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

Synonyms

• alibi
• apology
• defense
• excuse
• plea
• reason

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

Furthermore, China restricts the import of many U.S.-grown foods through its slow and complex approval process for biotech crops, often citing health and safety concerns as justification. —Garth Friesen, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025

Majorities also expressed concern that the president will do too much to reduce the size and role of government (58%), argued he's acted beyond his authority as president without justification (56%) and doubted the Trump administration's commitment to protecting citizens' rights and freedoms (55%). —Gary Langer, ABC News, 26 Apr. 2025

Proposing de-extinction as justification for rolling back the Endangered Species Act and its many effective protections is a dangerous distraction. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 26 Apr. 2025

President Trump invoked the wartime 1798 Alien Enemies Act as justification for deporting many of the migrants to El Salvador. —Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see justify

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing justification

• in justification of
• self-justification
• with some justification

Rhymes for justification

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids 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