justification
[noun]
Synonyms:
- explanation, defence, excuse, rationalization, vindication
- reason, basis, grounds, warrant

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English Thesaurus: reason, explanation, motive, justification, grounds, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

jus‧ti‧fi‧ca‧tion AC /ˌdʒʌstəfəˈkeɪʃən, ˌdʒʌstɪfəˈkeɪʃən/ noun [uncountable and countable]
[Word Family: adjective: justifiable ≠ unjustifiable, justified ≠ unjustified; verb: justify; noun: justification; adverb: justifiably ≠ unjustifiably]

1. a good and acceptable reason for doing something
justification for (doing) something
There is no justification for holding her in jail.
Hoggart felt, with some justification, that his colleagues had let him down.

2. in justification (of somebody/something) in order to explain why an idea or action is right:
He made a speech in justification of his actions.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

justification
noun
ADJ. considerable, every, some You have every justification for feeling angry.
the slightest She had not given him the slightest justification for thinking she was interested in him.
ample, sufficient | ethical, moral | intellectual, rational, theoretical | legal, political
VERB + JUSTIFICATION give (sb), provide (sb with) She's unable to provide any justification for her actions.
see
PREP. in ~ the argument which he put forward in justification
with ~ He felt, with some justification, that he had been unfairly treated.
without ~ She was arrested entirely without justification.
~ for I can see some justification for her remarks.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

reason why something happens, or why someone does something:
What was the reason for the delay?
I don’t know the reason why he left his last job.
explanation a set of reasons that helps you to understand why something happens, especially when it seems difficult to understand:
There are various possible explanations for climate change.
Is there any explanation for his behavior?
motive a reason that makes someone decide to do something – often used about crimes:
Police say that there is no obvious motive for the attack.
justification a good reason for doing something that seems wrong:
There is never any justification for torture or abuse.
They try to use the situation in the Middle East as a justification for killing innocent civilians.
There’s no justification for this type of behaviour.
grounds a reason that makes it right or fair to do something, especially according to legal, official, or moral rules:
The court will decide if she has grounds for divorce.
They claim the war is justified on moral grounds (=because of moral reasons).
basis the main ideas or reasons on which something is based:
The doctor makes his decisions purely on the basis of clinical observation.
What do you think is the basis for this advice?
rationale /ˌræʃəˈnɑːl $ -ˈnæl/ formal a set of reasons that are used to explain why someone does something in a particular way:
the rationale behind the government’s economic reforms
This chapter explains the nature of yearly plans, and provides a rationale for their use.
excuse a reason that you give to explain why you have done something bad, or not done something that you should have done – especially one that is not completely true:
She said she couldn’t come because she had to work late, but it was just an excuse.
a feeble excuse (=one that is hard to believe)
pretext especially written an untrue reason that you give for doing or not doing something, in order to hide the real reason:
He would often find some pretext to go out in the evening alone.
They used this as a pretext for taking military action.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲