jus·ti·fied
ˈjə-stə-ˌfīd
1
: having or shown to have a just, right, or reasonable basis
a justified punishment
a justified reputation for toughness
Such work calls for a combination of training and talent that few can lay justified claim to …—Bernard Knox
2
typography
a
: aligned evenly at the margin
a justified line of text
In justified composition, where the type must be flush with both the left and right margins, the machine will automatically expand or condense the word space or hyphenate end-of-line words to fill up the line measure.—Ray Blair and Thomas M. Destree
b
: made even by spacing lines of text
a document with justified margins
justified
2 of 2past tense and past participle of justify
Cite this Entry
“Justified.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justified. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.
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