justified

[ juhs-tuh-fahyd ]

adjective

1. having been shown to be just or right:

   If a parent sides with one child over another, one will feel righteous and justified, and the other will feel misunderstood and resentful.

2. warranted or well-grounded:

   The commission’s stance is that bans on GMO crops must be scientifically justified and crop-specific.

   I accept that there may be a penalty for justified civil disobedience, but I must weigh that penalty against the good that can be accomplished.

3. Printing. aligned with one or, especially, both margins:

   Justified text looks a little neater, but there's nothing particularly wrong with having a ragged right edge.

noun

1. Theology. Usually the justified. a person or persons believed to be worthy, redeemed, or absolved:

   Good works are logically and morally necessary, for they are nothing more or less than the evidence that one is indeed among the justified.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of justify ( def ).

Other Word Forms

• half-jus·ti·fied adjective
• un·jus·ti·fied adjective
• well-jus·ti·fied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of justified¹

justify ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

A Los Angeles police officer who killed a mentally ill man last year in Koreatown employed questionable tactics but was justified in using deadly force, the department’s oversight body ruled.

From Los Angeles Times

In other words, once Trump’s immigration and justice authorities deposited Garcia on the soil of El Salvador, they felt justified in washing their hands of him, despite their admission that his deportation was “illegal.”

From Salon

In her letter, she said the cuts were causing "immense worry and stress" for families and "cannot be justified".

From BBC

Dr Hart said he believed his actions had been justified as the primary duty of a doctor was to "act in the best interests of our patients".

From BBC

A Los Angeles police officer who killed a mentally ill man last year in Koreatown employed questionable tactics but was justified in using deadly force, the department’s oversight body ruled Tuesday.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• constitutional
• contractual
• fair
• juridical
• lawful
• legitimate
• proper
• statutory
• valid