justification

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Canada, US, UK/ˌd͡ʒʌstɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/Australia/ˌd͡ʒɐstɪfɪˈkæɪʃən/New Zealand/ˌd͡ʒɐstəfəˈkæɪʃən/

noun

A reason, explanation, or excuse which someone believes provides convincing, morally acceptable support for behavior or for a belief or occurrence.

CommonScrabble 25

Meanings

nounjustification (countable and uncountable, plural justifications)

plural justifications

  1. countableA reason, explanation, or excuse which someone believes provides convincing, morally acceptable support for behavior or for a belief or occurrence.
    1 more example

    The growing use of social media to spread anger and dissent in the Arab world has been hailed by western governments as one of the chief justifications for a completely unfettered internet. The US is reportedly funding the secret rollout of technology in Iran in an effort to undermine internet censors in the country.

    2012 April 19, Josh Halliday, “Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised?”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 08 May 2025
  2. uncountableChristianityThe forgiveness of sin.

    […] to articulate a common understanding of our justification by God’s grace through faith in Christ.

    1999, Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, (Please provide the book title or journal name)
  3. uncountablemediaThe alignment of text to the left margin (left justification), the right margin (right justification), or both margins (full justification).

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

  1. Latiniustus
  2. Late Latiniustificationem, justificationem
  3. Middle Frenchjustification
  4. Middle Englishjustificacioun
  5. Englishjustification

From Middle English justificacioun, justification, from Middle French justification, from Late Latin iustificationem, justificationem < iustificatio, from iustifico, from Latin iustus.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic تَبْرِير
  • تَبْرِير (tabrīr)reason, explanation, or excuse
Bulgarian извине́ние, оправда́ние
  • извине́ние (izvinénie)reason, explanation, or excuse
  • оправда́ние (opravdánie)reason, explanation, or excuse
  • подравня́ване (podravnjávane)text alignment
Catalan justificació
  • justificacióreason, explanation, or excuse
Chinese Mandarin 正當化 /正当化
  • 正當化 /正当化 (zhèngdànghuà)reason, explanation, or excuse
Czech ospravedlnění, zdůvodnění
  • ospravedlněníreason, explanation, or excuse
  • zdůvodněníreason, explanation, or excuse
  • odůvodněníreason, explanation, or excuse
  • zarovnánítext alignment
Dutch rechtvaardiging
  • rechtvaardigingreason, explanation, or excuse
Esperanto apologio
  • apologioreason, explanation, or excuse
Finnish oikeutus, vanhurskauttaminen
  • oikeutusreason, explanation, or excuse
  • vanhurskauttaminenforgiveness of sin
  • tasaustext alignment
  • suljentatext alignment
French justification, justification
  • justificationreason, explanation, or excuse
  • justificationtext alignment
German Rechtfertigung, Begründung
  • Rechtfertigungreason, explanation, or excuse
  • Begründungreason, explanation, or excuse
  • Ausrichtungtext alignment
  • Blocksatztext alignment
  • Zeilenfalltext alignment
Greek δικαιολογία, αιτιολόγηση
  • δικαιολογία (dikaiología)reason, explanation, or excuse
  • αιτιολόγηση (aitiológisi)reason, explanation, or excuse
  • απολόγηση (apológisi)reason, explanation, or excuse
  • στοίχιση (stoíchisi)text alignment
Hungarian indoklás, igazítás
  • indoklásreason, explanation, or excuse
  • igazítástext alignment
Irish réasún
  • réasúnreason, explanation, or excuse
Italian giustificazione, ragione
  • giustificazionereason, explanation, or excuse
  • ragionereason, explanation, or excuse
  • spiegazionereason, explanation, or excuse
  • scusareason, explanation, or excuse
  • giustificazionetext alignment
Japanese 正当化, 行揃え
  • 正当化 (seitōka)reason, explanation, or excuse
  • 行揃え (gyōsoroe)text alignment
  • ジャスティフィケーション (jyasutifikēshon)text alignment
Korean 정당화
  • 정당화 (jeongdanghwa)reason, explanation, or excuse
Lithuanian patéisinimas, pasitéisinimas
  • patéisinimasreason, explanation, or excuse
  • pasitéisinimasreason, explanation, or excuse
Māori parahautanga
  • parahautangareason, explanation, or excuse
Persian توجیه, بهانه
  • توجیه (towjih)reason, explanation, or excuse
  • بهانه (bahâne)reason, explanation, or excuse
Polish usprawiedliwienie, uzasadnienie
  • usprawiedliwieniereason, explanation, or excuse
  • uzasadnieniereason, explanation, or excuse
  • justyfikacjatext alignment
Portuguese justificativa, justificação
  • justificativareason, explanation, or excuse
  • justificaçãoreason, explanation, or excuse
  • explicaçãoreason, explanation, or excuse
  • justificaçãotext alignment
Romanian justificare, justificație
  • justificarereason, explanation, or excuse
  • justificațiereason, explanation, or excuse
Russian оправда́ние, выра́внивание
  • оправда́ние (opravdánije)reason, explanation, or excuse
  • выра́внивание (vyrávnivanije)text alignment
Slovak zdôvodnenie, odôvodnenie
  • zdôvodneniereason, explanation, or excuse
  • odôvodneniereason, explanation, or excuse
Spanish justificación, motivación
  • justificaciónreason, explanation, or excuse
  • motivaciónreason, explanation, or excuse
  • justificacióntext alignment
Swedish rättfärdigande, rättfärdiggörelse
  • rättfärdigandereason, explanation, or excuse
  • rättfärdiggörelsereason, explanation, or excuse
  • rättfärdiggörelseforgiveness of sin
  • justeringtext alignment
Tagalog pangangatwiran, paghuhustipika
  • pangangatwiranreason, explanation, or excuse
  • paghuhustipikareason, explanation, or excuse
Turkish haklı çıkma, savunma
  • haklı çıkmareason, explanation, or excuse
  • savunmareason, explanation, or excuse
  • temize çıkmareason, explanation, or excuse
  • gerekçereason, explanation, or excuse
  • mazeretreason, explanation, or excuse
  • müstenidatreason, explanation, or excuse
Ukrainian ви́правдання
  • ви́правдання (výpravdannja)reason, explanation, or excuse
Welsh cyfiawnhad
  • cyfiawnhadreason, explanation, or excuse

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with justification

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

justification. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/justification

MLA

“justification.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/justification. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “justification,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/justification.

Source: justification on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.