/jus'teuh fi kay"sheuhn/ , n.
1. a reason, fact, circumstance, or explanation that justifies or defends: His insulting you was ample justification for you to leave the party.
2. an act of justifying: The painter's justification of his failure to finish on time didn't impress me.
3. the state of being justified.
4. Also called justification by faith . Theol. the act of God whereby humankind is made or accounted just, or free from guilt or penalty of sin.
5. Print. the spacing of words and letters within a line of type so that all full lines in a column have even margins both on the left and on the right.
[ 1350-1400; ME justification- (s. of justificatio ), equiv. to justificat ( us ) ptp. of justificare to JUSTIFY (see JUSTIFICATORY) + -ion- -ION- ]