Justification
/ˌdʒʌstɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
Definitions
2 meaningsThe act of showing something to be right, reasonable, or valid.
/ˌdʒʌstɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
A reason, fact, circumstance, or explanation that justifies or defends something.
The company offered a detailed justification for its price increase.
💡 Simply: It's like giving a good explanation for why something is okay or makes sense. Like, "I needed to buy new shoes because my old ones had holes—that's my justification!"
👶 For kids: It's like giving a good reason for doing something. If you ate all the cookies, your justification would be "I was really hungry!"
More Examples
He had no valid justification for missing the meeting.
The justification for the war was based on national security concerns.
How It's Used
"The lawyer presented a strong justification for his client's actions."
"The study provided a scientific justification for the proposed theory."
In Christian theology, the act by which God declares a person righteous; the act of being freed from sin.
/ˌdʒʌstɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
The action of declaring or making righteous in the sight of God.
The sermon focused on the theological concept of justification.
💡 Simply: In some religions, it's the belief that you're made good or right in the eyes of God.
👶 For kids: When a religious person feels God has said they are good and forgiven their mistakes.
More Examples
The act of faith, according to the preacher, led to spiritual justification.
How It's Used
"The doctrine of justification by faith is central to Protestant theology."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
justification by results
The act of accepting something as correct because it has had a good outcome, even if it's ethically questionable.
"The manager's decisions were often controversial, but they were justified by results; they boosted profits and sales."
From Middle English justificacion, from Old French justificacion, from Latin iūstificātiō ('a declaring just or righteous'), from iūstificō ('to make just').
The term has been used since the 14th century, initially primarily in theological contexts.
Memory tip
Imagine a courtroom where evidence is presented to prove the rightness of an action; that's justification.
Word Origin
"to make just, to declare righteous"