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

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

Synonyms of justified

• reasonable
• reasoned
• logical
• valid
• good
• rational
• sensible

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

True, the university’s effort to unload the property sparked a backlash that proved justified. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026

While many agree that the bombing of Hiroshima was justified, there was no public outcry of genocide when the bomb fell on Nagasaki. —Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026

There is a lot of excitement around AI in energy and some of it is justified. —Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026

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

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for justified

• actinide
• aldehyde
• alkoxide
• alongside
• amplified
• arsenide
• beautified
• biocide
• bisulphide
• butoxide
• calcified
• ceramide