justified
adjective
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
Bernard Knox2
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
Ray Blair and Thomas M. Destree
b
: made even by spacing lines of text
a document with justified margins
Examples of justified in a Sentence
in a well-justified ruling the court voted unanimously to overturn the law
the use of force to capture the armed fugitive was fully justified
Recent Examples on the Web
Those who believe Israelis and Jews capable of such an outrage might feel justified in wishing that such bestial monsters were wiped from the Earth—a shift from disgust to dehumanization to possible destruction that is well charted by social psychologists.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
But policies that make the economy fairer for the populace are more justified than ever.
—Alexander Heffner, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
Rarely has there been such a poorly justified fantasy, promoting a number of claims loaded with hogwash.
—Harvey Levine, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
President Volodymyr Zelensky called the long-range strikes ‘entirely justified’ retaliation for Russian assaults on Kyiv, as Moscow reported intercepting more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones over its territory and occupied Crimea.
—Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for justified
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David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
But policies that make the economy fairer for the populace are more justified than ever.
—Alexander Heffner, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
Rarely has there been such a poorly justified fantasy, promoting a number of claims loaded with hogwash.
—Harvey Levine, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
President Volodymyr Zelensky called the long-range strikes ‘entirely justified’ retaliation for Russian assaults on Kyiv, as Moscow reported intercepting more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones over its territory and occupied Crimea.
—Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for justified
Cite this Entry
“Justified.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justified. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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