JUSTIFIED Synonyms: 176 Similar and Opposite Words

justified 1 of 2

adjective

ˈjə-stə-ˌfīd

Definition of justified

as in reasonable

based on sound reasoning or information in a well-justified ruling the court voted unanimously to overturn the law

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in deserved

being what is called for by accepted standards of right and wrong the use of force to capture the armed fugitive was fully justified

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

justified

2 of 2

verb

past tense of justify

as in explained

to be an acceptable reason for you seem to think that losing a basketball game justifies a temper tantrum

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in defended

to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections failed to justify the need for a war at this time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of justified

Adjective

Yet traders will look for commentary and signals on what these companies have to say about their semiconductor purchases — and whether the recent sell-off in chipmaking stocks is justified. — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 29 July 2026 The event gives the trip a purpose, which can make the spending feel more justified. — Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Verb

But when the war started, his aides justified the strikes by warning that Iran had been just weeks away from developing a bomb. — ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026 But the effort is more than justified by a paradisiacal setting with mangroves, the clearest water, and palms. — Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for justified

Recent Examples of Synonyms for justified

Adjective

Taxpayers may qualify for relief due to a good compliance history, reasonable cause, or a statutory exception.

— Jamela Adam, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
He’s also pushed to make sure The Gilded Age returned with new seasons as soon as was reasonable (those fancy parties and elaborate sets take time) and is looking to return Game of Thrones spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms on an annual basis.

— Josef Adalian, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of reasonable

Adjective

The toilet bowl has Díaz-Canel’s face painted on it, so people can leave their deserved offering.

— Sarah Moreno August 7, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026
Netflix has already faced deserved criticism for its sports coverage, often turning live events into infomercials for its entertainment division.

— Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of deserved

Verb

Unlike Anthropic, which gets a higher share of its revenues from enterprises, OpenAI is more popular among individual consumers, explained Ujjwal Chaudhry, a partner at market intelligence firm Analysys Mason.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Owning a cat comes with several costs, Kimberly Palmer, a personal finance expert with NerdWallet, explained.

— Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of explained

Verb

The 48-year-old just fiercely defended him in a lengthy statement to UsWeekly.

— Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
The Department of Homeland Security has defended its actions, telling CNN in a statement that those deported received due process and had final orders of removal.

— Mick Krever, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of defended

Adjective

In layman’s terms, critical thinking is the ability to think independently by questioning claims, weighing evidence, and making reasoned judgments.

— Ted Ladd, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
None are credible challengers; Matt Conroy is the more reasoned and moderate of the three.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026

Definition of reasoned

Verb

The jury requested to be excused for the day hours after telling Judge William Sullivan that it was deadlocked and could not reach a unanimous decision.

— Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026
As Korean growth picks up, President Lee Jae Myung could be excused for thinking his job as an economic reformer is done.

— William Pesek, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of excused

Verb

Fabares shared that the cast maintained their close bond after the show ended by setting up regular lunch dates.

— Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Aug. 2026
With Friday's win, the Aces (27-13) maintained their one-game lead for third place in the WNBA playoff race ahead of Indiana (26-14), which beat Connecticut 111-91.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of maintained

Adjective

Kitchenware, pantry staples and cookbook publishers are the logical next category.

— Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
The handle of the pattern is relatively shallow, so from a trading perspective, placing a stop-loss slightly below its lower boundary near 512 provides a logical way to manage risk.

— Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of logical

Browse Nearby Words

justifications

justified

justifies

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Justified.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/justified. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of justified

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

matriculate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes