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
The rulings against the levies in two federal courts – the U.S. Court of International Trade and the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. -- centered on Trump's unprecedented invocation of the International Economic Emergency Powers Act as a legal justification for tariffs.
—
Max Zahn, ABC News, 30 May 2025
End of story — there is no justification, nothing that makes this right.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2025
Iran would almost certainly not respect such a commitment, but future violations could serve as a justification for future responses.
MAKING GOOD
Since the United States withdrew from the JCPOA, Iran’s nuclear advances have been significant and dangerous.
—Richard Nephew, Foreign Affairs, 26 May 2025
Part of the legal justification of all of this rests on the claim that the Venezuelan government is controlling what TDA is doing.
—/ Cbs News, CBS News, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for justification
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Max Zahn, ABC News, 30 May 2025
End of story — there is no justification, nothing that makes this right.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2025
Iran would almost certainly not respect such a commitment, but future violations could serve as a justification for future responses.
MAKING GOOD
Since the United States withdrew from the JCPOA, Iran’s nuclear advances have been significant and dangerous.
—Richard Nephew, Foreign Affairs, 26 May 2025
Part of the legal justification of all of this rests on the claim that the Venezuelan government is controlling what TDA is doing.
—/ Cbs News, CBS News, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for justification
Cite this Entry
“Justification.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justification. Accessed 5 Jun. 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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