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
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
Trump’s predecessors feared that strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, regardless of their tactical success, could give Tehran the political justification to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and openly pursue nuclear arms, driving its program further underground and out of sight.
—
Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
The country's President Vladimir Putin met with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Moscow on June 23 and said there was no justification for the U.S. attack and called aggression against Iran groundless.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 24 June 2025
The practice is federally mandated, and one of the justifications for the policy is that it’s supposed to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
Schools that wish to utilize the funds will need to provide a justification to their university board of trustees.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for justification
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Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
The country's President Vladimir Putin met with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Moscow on June 23 and said there was no justification for the U.S. attack and called aggression against Iran groundless.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 24 June 2025
The practice is federally mandated, and one of the justifications for the policy is that it’s supposed to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
Schools that wish to utilize the funds will need to provide a justification to their university board of trustees.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for justification
Cite this Entry
“Justification.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justification. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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