justification
gb/d͡ʒˌʌstɪfɪkˈeɪʃən/ us/d͡ʒˌʌstɪfɪkˈeɪʃən/
B2
English
~ 7500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
good reason for an action
A good reason that explains why an action, belief, or decision is right or OK.
Usage pattern:
justification for [action/decision]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "justification" with "justice". "Justice" is about fairness and the legal system, while "justification" is a reason that explains why something is acceptable. Learners also often use the wrong preposition: it is most natural to say "justification for doing something", not *"justification to do something" in many contexts.
Synonyms
reason (More general and neutral; does not always suggest that the reason is morally or logically strong.)
|
explanation (Focuses on making something clear; does not always suggest that the action is acceptable or right.)
|
defense (Often used in arguments or court; implies active protection of a position against attack.)
Antonyms
condemnation (Expresses strong disapproval instead of giving a good reason for something.)
Collocations
justification for
|offer justification
|provide justification
|moral justification
|legal justification
|without justification
Themes
thinking
|law
|ethics
|communication
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- There is no justification for treating employees with such disrespect.
- The company failed to provide any justification for the sudden price increase.
- In his report, he gave a detailed justification for choosing this research method.
- She saw her apology as a justification for being late, but he still felt annoyed.
Learner examples
- There is no justification for his angry words.
- Can you give me a justification for this decision?
- The teacher asked for a clear justification of their answer.
- He wrote a short email in justification for his absence.
Noun
technical
C1
state
2
being made right with God
In Christian religion, the state of being seen as right and free from sin by God.
Usage pattern:
justification by [faith/works/grace]
Synonyms
absolution (Focuses more on forgiveness of sins, especially in church practice, rather than the full theological concept of being declared righteous.)
Antonyms
condemnation (Refers to being judged guilty or unworthy, especially in a religious or moral sense, which contrasts with being justified.)
Collocations
justification by faith
|doctrine of justification
|divine justification
|receive justification
|theology of justification
Themes
religion
|theology
Examples
- The debate over justification by faith alone has shaped much of Protestant theology.
- In his sermon, the pastor explained justification as a gift of grace, not something we can earn.
- The book traces how different churches understand justification and salvation.
Learner examples
- Some churches teach justification by faith alone.
- The priest talked about justification and forgiveness in his message.
- She studied the idea of justification in a course on Christian theology.
Noun
technical
C1
action
3
alignment of text on a page
In text and documents, changing spaces so that the edges of the lines are straight on one or both sides.
Usage pattern:
text justification in [document/page]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse "justification" (the layout of text) with "justify" meaning "give a reason". In software menus, "justify" and "justification" usually refer only to text alignment, not to explaining or defending something.
Synonyms
alignment (More general; can refer to positioning of objects or text, not specifically the spacing process to make margins even.)
Antonyms
ragged (In typography, describes text edges that are uneven, which is the opposite visual effect of full justification.)
Collocations
full justification
|left justification
|right justification
|text justification
|paragraph justification
|change the justification
Themes
technology
|writing
|design
|communication
|work
Examples
- Full justification makes both the left and right sides of the text block perfectly straight.
- The designer changed the paragraph justification to improve readability on mobile screens.
- Check the text justification settings before exporting the final PDF.
Learner examples
- Please use left justification for this report.
- The text looks strange because the justification is wrong.
- You can change the justification with this button in the toolbar.
Grammar
Dictionary form
justification
IPA
GB/d͡ʒˌʌstɪfɪkˈeɪʃən/
US/d͡ʒˌʌstɪfɪkˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
jus - ti - fic - a - tion (5 syllables)
Stress on 4th syllable (a)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: justification
- Plural: justification, justifications
Word family
Expressions
in justification for
1/ˈɪn d͡ʒˌʌstɪfɪkˈeɪʃən fɚ/
fixed phrase
formal
to defend a specific action
Used before reasons that defend a particular action or decision that is named after the word "for".
Examples
- In justification for his delay, he cited heavy traffic and a family emergency.
- They presented several reports in justification for expanding the project.
in justification of
1/ˈɪn d͡ʒˌʌstɪfɪkˈeɪʃən əv/
fixed phrase
formal
to explain or defend something
Used before reasons that explain or defend an action, decision, or opinion.
Examples
- In justification of the budget cuts, the minister pointed to falling tax revenues.
- He offered several statistics in justification of his proposal.
with some justification
1/wˈɪθ sˈʌm d͡ʒˌʌstɪfɪkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
with a partly valid reason
Used to say that there is a partly good or understandable reason for something, even if it is not perfect.
Examples
- Parents, with some justification, worry about their children's use of social media.
- She is, with some justification, proud of what she has achieved.
without justification
1/wɪðˈaʊt d͡ʒˌʌstɪfɪkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
with no good reason
Used to say that there is no good reason or explanation for an action or opinion.
Examples
- Several employees were dismissed without justification.
- He accused her of lying without justification, and later he apologized.