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 representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent to their offices Sunday about the justification by DHS for terminating TPS for Venezuelan recipients who’d received the designation from the Biden administration in 2023.
—
Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2025
On Thursday, a USAID human resources official who tried to reverse the action, saying there was no justification for it, was himself placed on leave, according to two of the officials who had viewed internal emails and verified them as authentic.
—Matthew Lee, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
No one in the administration has tried to argue that conditions in Venezuela have improved, which, the law stipulates, would be the only justification for terminating TPS.
—Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2025
There’s the risk that evil could almost become a justification.
—Gianmaria Tammaro, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for justification 
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Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2025
On Thursday, a USAID human resources official who tried to reverse the action, saying there was no justification for it, was himself placed on leave, according to two of the officials who had viewed internal emails and verified them as authentic.
—Matthew Lee, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
No one in the administration has tried to argue that conditions in Venezuela have improved, which, the law stipulates, would be the only justification for terminating TPS.
—Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2025
There’s the risk that evil could almost become a justification.
—Gianmaria Tammaro, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 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 5 Feb. 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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