justification

[ juhs-tuh-fi-key-shuhn ]

noun

1. a reason, fact, circumstance, or explanation that justifies or defends:

   His insulting you was ample justification for you to leave the party.

2. an act of justifying:

   The painter's justification of his failure to finish on time didn't impress me.

3. the state of being justified.
4. Also called justification by faith. Theology. the act of God whereby humankind is made or accounted just, or free from guilt or penalty of sin.
5. Printing. the spacing of words and letters within a line of type so that all full lines in a column have even margins both on the left and on the right.

justification

/ ˌdʒʌstɪfɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. reasonable grounds for complaint, defence, etc
2. the act of justifying; proof, vindication, or exculpation
3. theol
   1. the act of justifying
   2. the process of being justified or the condition of having been justified
4. Also calledjustification by faith Protestant theol the doctrine that God vindicates only those who repent and believe in Jesus
5. printing computing the process of adjusting interword spacing in text or data so that both right and left margins are straight
6. computing the process of moving data right or left so that the first or last character occurs in a predefined position

Other Words From

• pre·jus·ti·fi·ca·tion noun
• re·jus·ti·fi·ca·tion noun
• su·per·jus·ti·fi·ca·tion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of justification¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin jūstificātiōn-, stem of jūstificātiō, from jūstificāt(us) “justified” (past participle of jūstificāre; justify ) + -iō -ion ( def )

Example Sentences

The hearing was told that Ms Robinson had contacted him outside her work hours without clinical justification, breaching professional boundaries.

From BBC

The reason cited is illegal construction but experts have questioned the logic and say there is no legal justification for doing this.

From BBC

The stated justification of the Israeli security forces for the attacks was that Hamas was using hospitals for military purposes, including as command-and-control centres.

From Salon

Before Al-Shifa Hospital was besieged and attacked, for example, “the IDF produced this very flamboyant imagery of the command and control center underneath the hospital,” Sidoti said, “which they alleged form the basis of the justification of the attack. Yet none of the footage produced after the event indicated anything like that kind of command and control center underneath the hospital.”

From Salon

Despite Richardson’s erratic behavior, sheriff’s deputies at the station had “no legal justification to deprive her of her freedom,” according to the report.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• apology
• approval
• argument
• basis
• confirmation
• explanation
• pretext
• rationale
• rationalization
• vindication