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 of justification

• excuse
• 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

Newsom accused the administration of using protests in June as an excuse to take over the Guard and use it throughout the country, whether or not there is legal justification to do so. —Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2025

Traditionally, one of the key justifications for teamwork has been its psychological benefits—the energy that comes from collaboration, the reduced stress of shared responsibility, the excitement of building on each other’s ideas. —François Candelon, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025

Federal authorities have pointed to past convictions on charges of assault and unlawful possession of a firearm that resulted in him losing his green card as the justification for his detainment. —MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025

The judge denied Bovino’s request to loosen restrictions on tear gas use, insisting agents must provide clear warnings and justification before using chemical agents. —Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

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