Justified — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈjə-stə-ˌfīd/ jus·ti·fied

Meaning & Definition of Justified

Justified (adjective)

  1. having or shown to have a just, right, or reasonable basis
  2. aligned evenly at the margin
  3. made even by spacing lines of text

Justified (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. based on sound reasoning or information

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

    similar: commonsense, commonsensible, commonsensical, firm, good, hard, informed, just, levelheaded, logical, rational, reasonable, reasoned, sensible, sober, solid, valid, well-founded
    related: actual, real, true, certain, sure, certified, validated, verified, confirmed, corroborated, substantiated, cogent, convincing, colorable, credible, plausible
    opposite: groundless, illogical, invalid, irrational, nonrational, nonsensical, nonvalid, unfounded, uninformed, unjustified, unreasonable, unreasoned, unsound
    near: unsubstantiated, unsupported, unwarranted, flimsy, implausible, unconvincing, weak, fallacious, false, misguided, misled

  2. being what is called for by accepted standards of right and wrong

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

    similar: competent, condign, deserved, due, fair, just, merited, right, rightful, warranted
    related: applicable, appropriate, apt, fit, fitting, meet, proper, requisite, suitable, lawful, legal, legitimate, accurate, correct, true, rhadamanthine, strict, stringent, uncompromising, equitable, impartial, square
    opposite: undeserved, undue, unfair, unjust, unjustified, unmerited, unwarranted
    near: incoherent, incorrect, irrelative, irrelevant, improper, inapplicable, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, indefensible, unjustifiable, unreasonable, unsuitable, biased, inequitable, partial, unequal, arbitrary, despotic, illegitimate, unlawful

Justified (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to be an acceptable reason for

    "you seem to think that losing a basketball game justifies a temper tantrum"

    similar: excused
    related: accounted (for), alibied, explained, explained away, rationalized, brushed (aside or off), condoned, disregarded, forgave, glossed (over), glozed (over), ignored, pardoned, passed over, remitted, shrugged off, winked (at)

  2. to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections

    "failed to justify the need for a war at this time"

    similar: defended, maintained, supported, upheld, stood up for, stuck up for
    related: advocated, championed, espoused, confirmed, vindicated, warranted, affirmed, asserted, averred, avouched, avowed, claimed, contended, insisted, pleaded, proclaimed, professed, protested, stated, argued, debated, discussed, emphasized, stressed, underlined, underscored
    near: abandoned, abjured, forsook, recanted, retracted, took back, withdrew, reversed, switched, controverted, disproved, rebutted, refuted

Related Entry: Justify (verb)

Justify is a different word from Justified. The synonyms below are for justify, not for justified.

  1. to be an acceptable reason for

    "you seem to think that losing a basketball game justifies a temper tantrum"

    similar: excuse
    related: account (for), alibi, explain, explain away, rationalize, brush (aside or off), condone, disregard, forgive, gloss (over), gloze (over), ignore, pardon, pass over, remit, shrug off, wink (at)

  2. to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections

    "failed to justify the need for a war at this time"

    similar: defend, maintain, support, uphold, stand up for, stick up for
    related: advocate, champion, espouse, confirm, vindicate, warrant, affirm, assert, aver, avouch, avow, claim, contend, insist, plead, proclaim, profess, protest, state, argue, debate, discuss, emphasize, stress, underline, underscore
    near: abandon, abjure, forsake, recant, retract, take back, withdraw, reverse, switch, controvert, disprove, rebut, refute

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Justified

The most common words with a similar meaning to Justified:

commonsense, commonsensible, commonsensical, firm, good, hard, informed, just, levelheaded, logical, rational, reasonable, reasoned, sensible, sober, solid, valid, well-founded, competent, condign, deserved, due, fair, merited, right, rightful, warranted, excused, defended, maintained, supported, upheld, stood up for, stuck up for

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Justified

Words with the opposite meaning of Justified:

groundless, illogical, invalid, irrational, nonrational, nonsensical, nonvalid, unfounded, uninformed, unjustified, unreasonable, unreasoned, unsound, undeserved, undue, unfair, unjust, unmerited, unwarranted

Related Words for Justified

actual, real, true, certain, sure, certified, validated, verified, confirmed, corroborated, substantiated, cogent, convincing, colorable, credible, plausible, applicable, appropriate, apt, fit, fitting, meet, proper, requisite, suitable, lawful, legal, legitimate, accurate, correct

Near Antonyms of Justified

unsubstantiated, unsupported, flimsy, implausible, unconvincing, weak, fallacious, false, misguided, misled, incoherent, incorrect, irrelative, irrelevant, improper, inapplicable, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, indefensible, unjustifiable, unsuitable, biased, inequitable, partial, unequal, arbitrary, despotic, illegitimate, unlawful

Origin & Etymology of Justified

First known use: circa 1586

Frequently Asked Questions about Justified

What does "Justified" mean?

"Justified" means having or shown to have a just, right, or reasonable basis. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: having or shown to have a just, right, or reasonable basis. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Justified"?

Other words for "Justified" include commonsense, commonsensible, commonsensical, firm, good, hard, informed and just. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Justified" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Justified"?

There are 112 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Justified". Common alternatives include commonsense, commonsensible, commonsensical, firm, good, hard, informed, just, levelheaded and logical.

What is the opposite of "Justified"?

Antonyms of "Justified" include groundless, illogical, invalid, irrational, nonrational, nonsensical, nonvalid and unfounded. Near antonyms include unsubstantiated, unsupported, flimsy and implausible.

How do you use "Justified" in a sentence?

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"; "you seem to think that losing a basketball game justifies a temper tantrum".

Is "Justified" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Justified" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Justified"?

"Justified" is pronounced /ˈjə-stə-ˌfīd/ and divided into syllables as jus·ti·fied.

What is the origin of the word "Justified"?

First known use: circa 1586.