Unjustified
/ʌnˈdʒʌstɪfaɪd/
Definitions
Without a valid reason or adequate evidence; unwarranted.
/ʌnˈdʒʌstɪfaɪd/
Lacking a good or sufficient reason; not proven or shown to be right or reasonable.
The company's sudden layoffs were seen as unjustified by the employees.
💡 Simply: Imagine your friend is mad at you but you didn't do anything wrong. Their anger is *unjustified*! It's like, there's no good reason for them to be upset.
👶 For kids: When something is *unjustified*, it's not fair or right because there's no good reason for it. Like if someone took your toy without asking, that's unjustified!
More Examples
The punishment felt unjustified given the minor infraction.
The author's extreme bias made his conclusions seem unjustified.
Her suspicions about her neighbor were completely unjustified.
How It's Used
"The court found the use of force by the police to be unjustified."
"Critics labeled the government's actions as an unjustified attack on civil liberties."
"Her anger seemed completely unjustified, as there was no evidence to support her claims."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
Antonyms
From 'un-' (not) + 'justified' (proven or shown to be right or reasonable). The word's construction reflects its meaning of lacking sufficient grounds or evidence.
The term 'unjustified' gained prominence in legal and philosophical contexts, reflecting concerns about fairness and due process, and also political contexts, especially relating to war.
Memory tip
Think of a situation where you're trying to *justify* an action, but you have *un-* (not) enough reasons. It's *unjustified*!
Word Origin
"just, righteous, lawful"