What does "justified" mean?

1. (having a good reason) having a good or fair reason for doing something. 2. (aligned text) text that is straight and even on both the left and right sides of the page.

How do you use "justified"?

Usually placed before the noun or after a linking verb like 'is'.

justified

adj.

US //ˈdʒəstəˌfaɪd// UK //dʒˈʌstɪfˌaɪd// jus·ti·fied

1 having a good reason (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

having a good or fair reason for doing something.

having or shown to have a fair, right, or reasonable basis for an action or belief.

Example

The teacher felt justified in giving the student a lower grade because the work was late.

Example

The board felt justified in their decision to terminate the contract, citing several documented instances of negligence and missed deadlines.
- unjustified
- unwarranted
2 aligned text (adj.)
C1 Advanced Technical Computing

text that is straight and even on both the left and right sides of the page.

referring to text where the word spacing is adjusted so that the lines fall even with both margins.

Example

Please make sure the text in your report is justified so it looks professional.

Example

The designer preferred justified text for the brochure, arguing that the clean vertical lines on both margins created a more formal and structured aesthetic.

Usage

Usually placed before the noun or after a linking verb like 'is'.
- aligned
- flush
- ragged

Word family

Adjectivejustified
Adjectiveunjustified