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

• 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

For much of the last decade, the Mets’ amorphous but always restricted budget drew the justified ire of their fan base. —Tim Britton, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025

And that then links to their view of what they’re justified doing in response to the grievances. —Belinda Luscombe, Time, 29 Sep. 2025

Generation Z is emerging as the most likely age group in America to see political violence as justified, new polling shows. —Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025

So, Horn’s opportunity for activation seems muddled at best — justified or not. —Charlotte Observer, 24 Sep. 2025

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
• butoxide
• calcified
• ceramide
• certified