past form and past participle
Gave a good reason for an action, decision, or use of something.
She justified leaving early by saying she felt sick.
The company justified the price increase by citing higher costs.
American English
How to pronounce justified
verb · adjectiveB2Common word
JUHStuhfaid
/ˈʤəs.təˌfaɪd̚/
3 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
Form of justify
Justified is used as both the past form and the past participle of justify. It is also used as an adjective for something reasonable or for text aligned with both margins.
Gave a good reason for an action, decision, or use of something.
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
past form and past participle
Showed with facts or reasons that something was true, correct, or valid.
The data justified our conclusion.
The evidence has justified reopening the case.
adjective
Reasonable or acceptable because facts or circumstances support it.
Her concern was justified after the alarm sounded.
The criticism was fully justified.
past form and past participle
Arranged text so that each line reached both the left and right edges.
The designer justified the paragraph on both sides.
The software has justified the text automatically.
Useful expressions
to explain your actions and show that they were reasonable or acceptable
You do not have to justify yourself to me.
no good reason for something
There is no justification for lying to your customers.
a good result can make bad methods seem acceptable
Some people believe that the ends justify the means.
Related words & forms
The y changes to i in justifies and justified.