n.

1. 1. The act of justifying.
   2. The condition or fact of being justified.
2. Something, such as a fact or circumstance, that justifies: considered misgovernment to be a justification for revolution. See synonyms at apology.

In typography, the alignment of text evenly between left and right margins. Contrast with ragged right.

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Text alignment in which both left and right edges are smooth, achieved by varying the space between words (and sometimes between characters) to make the lines of equal length.

noun

1. A statement that justifies or defends something, such as a past action or policy: apologetic, apologia, apology, defense, vindication. See attack/defend.
2. A statement of causes or motives: account, explanation, rationale, rationalization, reason. See explain/baffle.
3. A justifying fact or consideration: basis, foundation, reason, warrant. See true/false.
4. That which provides a reason or justification: call, cause, ground (often used in plural), necessity, occasion, reason, wherefore, why. Idioms: why and wherefore. See start/end.

For more information on justification, visit Britannica.com.

A central concept both in ethics and epistemology. An action or a belief is justified if it stands up to some kind of critical reflection or scrutiny; a person is then exempt from criticism on account of it. The philosophical question is one of the standards that have to be met and the source of their authority. A surprisingly popular line of thought in epistemology is that ‘only a belief can justify another belief’ (Davidson). The implication that neither experience nor the world plays a role in justifying beliefs leads quickly to coherentism.

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

A sufficient or acceptable excuse or explanation made in court for an act that is otherwise unlawful; the showing of an adequate reason, in court, why a defendant committed the offense for which he or she is accused that would serve to relieve the defendant of liability.

A legal excuse for the performance or nonperformance of a particular act that is the basis for exemption from guilt. A classic example is the excuse of self-defense offered as justification for the commission of a murder.

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - retfærdiggørelse, begrundelse, motivering, undskyldning

Nederlands (Dutch)
rechtvaardiging, uitvulling (tekst)

Français (French)
n. - (gén, Relig) justification (de, à, pour), à juste titre, (Typ, Comput) justification, cadrage

Deutsch (German)
n. - Rechtfertigung, Randausgleich

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - δικαίωση, καταξίωση, δικαιολογία, αιτιολόγηση, δικαιολόγηση

Italiano (Italian)
giustificazione

Português (Portuguese)
n. - justificativa (f)

Русский (Russian)
оправдание, оправдывающие обстоятельства, правомерность

Español (Spanish)
n. - justificación

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - berättigande, rättfärdigande, försvar

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
辩护, 释罪, 证明正当

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 辯護, 釋罪, 證明正當

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 정당화, 변명, 정돈

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 正当化, 弁明

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) تبرير, تسويغ, مبرر, مسوغ‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮הצדקה‬

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