1
as in reasonable
based on sound reasoning or information
in a well-justified ruling the court voted unanimously to overturn the law
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2
as in deserved
being what is called for by accepted standards of right and wrong
the use of force to capture the armed fugitive was fully justified
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1
as in explained
to be an acceptable reason for
you seem to think that losing a basketball game justifies a temper tantrum
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2
as in defended
to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections
failed to justify the need for a war at this time
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Examples of justified in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dana Milbank, Washington Post, 6 July 2024
The court’s point was not that riot participants’ actions were right or justified, but that when the government charges a person with a crime, their alleged acts have to fit the exact text of a crime on the books, or else Congress has to create a new statute.
—Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post, 28 June 2024
Since no one can or will give such a guarantee, Israel is absolutely justified and morally correct in continuing its military action in Gaza.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 June 2024
The commission had contemplated including an accusation of making unfounded allegations of racial bias as one of the justified grounds for Bowden-Lewis’s dismissal, but failed to include it in the long, legal memo made public Tuesday.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for justified 
Adjective
Biden has a strong — and justified — sense of unfairness about what is happening to him.
—Dana Milbank, Washington Post, 6 July 2024
The court’s point was not that riot participants’ actions were right or justified, but that when the government charges a person with a crime, their alleged acts have to fit the exact text of a crime on the books, or else Congress has to create a new statute.
—Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post, 28 June 2024
Since no one can or will give such a guarantee, Israel is absolutely justified and morally correct in continuing its military action in Gaza.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 June 2024
The commission had contemplated including an accusation of making unfounded allegations of racial bias as one of the justified grounds for Bowden-Lewis’s dismissal, but failed to include it in the long, legal memo made public Tuesday.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for justified
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'justified.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Justified.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/justified. Accessed 14 Sep. 2024.
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