justified
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
Bernard Knox2
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
Ray Blair and Thomas M. Destree
b
: made even by spacing lines of text
a document with justified margins
Synonyms
Examples of justified in a Sentence
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
Meanwhile, Norwood’s wide-eyed reactions to the jaw-dropping boldness of Solange’s antics serve as a potent grounding agent, leaving her in a wholly justified state of perpetual shock .
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2024
Black and brown people, especially in more rural and suburban areas, are now operating with a level of hyper vigilance, having a justified paranoia that violence could descend on them at any time.
—Banseka Kayembe, refinery29.com, 9 Aug. 2024
Too often in the past, the idea of American exceptionalism has slid from justified pride in U.S. accomplishments into a belief that the United States is exempt from the rules that everyone else must follow.
—Tim Kaine, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2017
This more justified scientific explanation might not reflect the dramatic feeling of being pulled in two directions at once by emotion and reason.
—Lisa Feldman Barrett, Scientific American, 8 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for justified 
Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2024
Black and brown people, especially in more rural and suburban areas, are now operating with a level of hyper vigilance, having a justified paranoia that violence could descend on them at any time.
—Banseka Kayembe, refinery29.com, 9 Aug. 2024
Too often in the past, the idea of American exceptionalism has slid from justified pride in U.S. accomplishments into a belief that the United States is exempt from the rules that everyone else must follow.
—Tim Kaine, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2017
This more justified scientific explanation might not reflect the dramatic feeling of being pulled in two directions at once by emotion and reason.
—Lisa Feldman Barrett, Scientific American, 8 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for justified
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'justified.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near justified
Cite this Entry
“Justified.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justified. Accessed 16 Sep. 2024.
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