justification
noun
jus·ti·fi·ca·tion
ˌjə-stə-fə-ˈkā-shən 
1
a
: the act or an instance of justifying something : vindication
arguments offered in justification of their choice
b
: an acceptable reason for doing something : something that justifies an act or way of behaving
could provide no justification for his decision
2
: the act, process, or state of being justified by God (see justify sense 2a)
3
: the process or result of justifying lines of text (see justify sense 3a)
software that provides automatic justification of text
Examples of justification in a Sentence
He tried to present a justification for his behavior.
There is no possible justification for what she did.
His behavior is without justification.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rapid value provides justification for vendor choice.
—
Expert Panel®, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Carter’s lawyers included a copy of the NBC interview in court paperwork, routinely citing the inconsistencies as justification for why the lawsuit should be dismissed and why Buzbee should be sanctioned.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2025
Tragic cases remind us of the stakes involved in child protection but using them as justification to roll back essential reforms would harm the very children and families the system was designed to protect.
—Michelle Yanche, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2025
The 2019 El Paso terrorist who killed 23 people at a Walmart was a white supremacist and eco-fascist, for example—using environmental justifications about climate change to argue that there will not be enough space for white people.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for justification 
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Expert Panel®, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Carter’s lawyers included a copy of the NBC interview in court paperwork, routinely citing the inconsistencies as justification for why the lawsuit should be dismissed and why Buzbee should be sanctioned.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2025
Tragic cases remind us of the stakes involved in child protection but using them as justification to roll back essential reforms would harm the very children and families the system was designed to protect.
—Michelle Yanche, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2025
The 2019 El Paso terrorist who killed 23 people at a Walmart was a white supremacist and eco-fascist, for example—using environmental justifications about climate change to argue that there will not be enough space for white people.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for justification
Dictionary Entries Near justification
Cite this Entry
“Justification.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justification. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
justification
noun
jus·ti·fi·ca·tion
ˌjəs-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən
1
: the act or an instance of justifying or of being justified
2
: something that justifies : defense
Legal Definition
justification
noun
jus·ti·fi·ca·tion
ˌjəs-tə-fə-ˈkā-shən
1
: the act or an instance of justifying
2
: something that justifies
specifically
: a legally sufficient reason or cause (as self-defense) for an act that would otherwise be criminal or tortious
3
: the affirmative defense of having a legally sufficient justification compare excuse
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