justified

1 of 2

adjective

jus·​ti·​fied ˈjə-stə-ˌfīd 

1

: having or shown to have a just, right, or reasonable basis

a justified punishment

a justified reputation for toughness

Such work calls for a combination of training and talent that few can lay justified claim to …

—Bernard Knox

2

typography

a

: aligned evenly at the margin

a justified line of text

In justified composition, where the type must be flush with both the left and right margins, the machine will automatically expand or condense the word space or hyphenate end-of-line words to fill up the line measure.

—Ray Blair and Thomas M. Destree

b

: made even by spacing lines of text

a document with justified margins

justified

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of justify

Synonyms of justified

Adjective

• reasonable
• reasoned
• logical
• valid
• good
• rational
• sensible

Examples of justified in a Sentence

Adjective

in a well-justified ruling the court voted unanimously to overturn the law

the use of force to capture the armed fugitive was fully justified

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles, in a memo to school board members, presented a counter interpretation and said the state team exaggerated the crisis and was implicitly faulting justified wage increases. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

If supply begins catching up faster than expected, the market’s skepticism toward the durability of today’s earnings may prove justified. — Isabella Gao, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026

When a team, industry, or organization is struggling, pessimism can feel justified—and even useful as a protective shield against false hopes. — Harvard Business Review, 22 Sep. 2026

The menu is no phonebook, and what has made the cut is well-justified. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for justified

• actinide
• aldehyde
• alkoxide
• alongside
• amplified
• arsenide
• beautified
• biocide
• bisulphide
• butoxide
• calcified
• ceramide