unjustified

adjective

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un·jus·ti·fied | \ ˌən-ˈjə-stə-ˌfīd

Definition of unjustified

: not justified: such as

a : not demonstrably correct or judicious : not warranted or appropriate unjustified anger an unjustified punishment

b : not spaced to be even unjustified lines of text an unjustified margin

Examples of unjustified in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Attorneys for the family of a Black man who was fatally shot by a Pasadena police officer last year said that video of the incident is evidence that the shooting was unjustified. — Los Angeles Times, "Today’s Headlines: ‘A nightmare in Boulder’," 23 Mar. 2021 Her fears, and her determination to stay hidden and untraceable, weren’t completely unjustified, but clearly some degree of paranoia was setting in. — Abbott Kahler, Vulture, "How Sara Gruen Lost Her Life," 24 Mar. 2021 However, these grievances aren’t totally unjustified: Most humidifiers are notoriously difficult to clean and maintain, and the frustrations may not seem worth the minor improvement to your home’s air. — Paige Szmodis, Popular Mechanics, "The Levoit Classic 300S Humidifier Has A Huge Tank and Smart Connectivity," 11 Mar. 2021 No charges were brought against the officers because District Attorney Dave Young wrote in a June 2020 letter that prosecutors lacked evidence to prove the officers caused McClain's death or that their force was unjustified. — Chris Boyette, CNN, "Aurora, Colorado, to hire independent police monitor after investigation into Elijah McClain's death," 23 Feb. 2021 Salt Lake District Attorney Sim Gill said last week that Pena-Valencia’s death was unjustified but Gill won’t press charges against the officer. — Sara Tabin, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Utahns protest George Floyd’s death with car caravan," 7 Mar. 2021 Andrew Marroquin, owner of McMarro Family Restaurants, a 1,400-employee chain that runs the McDonald’s, said that the complaints are unjustified and that just three workers at his Pearblossom outlet have tested positive for the virus. — Margot Roosevelt, Los Angeles Times, "Many Californians have just three days of paid leave. What if they get COVID-19?," 7 Mar. 2021 The former president last month submitted a statement to the board arguing the ban was unjustified. — Sarah E. Needleman, WSJ, "YouTube CEO Says Trump Suspension to Last Until Violence Risk Decreases," 4 Mar. 2021 In the weeks since the election was called, Mr. Trump’s supporters have seen more unjustified slights to him. — New York Times, "For Trump’s Aggrieved Defenders, This Impeachment Confirms Everything," 27 Jan. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unjustified.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.