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
High Research and Development Costs: The pharmaceutical industry often cites the high costs associated with research and development (R&D) as a justification for their pricing strategies.
—
Web Golinkin, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
Just as being the first to remove Trump’s account in 2021 quickly led to YouTube and Facebook owner Meta following suit, Twitter being the first to restore Trump’s account provided that much more justification for the other platforms to do the same.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2024
And this past week, DJI reported that some of its drones have been blocked by US customs using the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act as justification.
—Sean Hollister, The Verge, 19 Oct. 2024
In the complaint to the Wisconsin Crime Victim Rights Board, Bell and Beckman had alleged crimes of perjury and misconduct in office, among others, as justification for why Bell was a crime victim, separate from the shooting itself.
—Ashley Luthern, Journal Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for justification 
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illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
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Web Golinkin, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
Just as being the first to remove Trump’s account in 2021 quickly led to YouTube and Facebook owner Meta following suit, Twitter being the first to restore Trump’s account provided that much more justification for the other platforms to do the same.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2024
And this past week, DJI reported that some of its drones have been blocked by US customs using the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act as justification.
—Sean Hollister, The Verge, 19 Oct. 2024
In the complaint to the Wisconsin Crime Victim Rights Board, Bell and Beckman had alleged crimes of perjury and misconduct in office, among others, as justification for why Bell was a crime victim, separate from the shooting itself.
—Ashley Luthern, Journal Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2024
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 5 Nov. 2024.
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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