That was justified

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "That was justified" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to express that a particular action, decision, or behavior was reasonable or warranted in a given context. Example: "After reviewing the evidence, I concluded that the decision to terminate the contract was justified."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

33 human-written examples

We've seen a reduction in our forces far beyond anything that was justified by the end of the cold war.

The New York Times

As for the public anger — in particular, the woman who had lectured Blair at the hospital — that was justified, too.

The New Yorker

But can a war, especially a war of choice, that was justified primarily on misleading or erroneous grounds ever be considered legitimate in a democratic society?

The New York Times

Nearly 1,300 French seamen were killed in a bombardment that was justified at the time by fears that, having signed an armistice, Vichy France was about to be co-opted into the German military machine.

The Guardian - Books

Saints won an epic battle but the Leeds forwards, magnificently led by Jamie Peacock - the British player of the decade - emerged with confidence that was justified by their convincing victory in a Grand Final rematch two weeks later.

The Guardian - Sport

Foremost among them, of course, was the war in Iraq, an adventure that was justified mendaciously and executed incompetently, but may finally introduce an open and self-governing society into the Arab world and confer the blessing of political liberty upon the Shiites, the Sunnis and — who cannot rejoice over this? — the Kurds.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

27 human-written examples

How could that be justified?

The Guardian - Business

Under what possible circumstances could that be justified?

The Guardian - Opinion

The experiments demonstrate co-existence of phases phenomena that are justified in the present study.

International Journal of Solids and Structures

It could just be a boom that's justified by the fundamentals.

The Washington Post

However, Winters and Berns say that there have been previous John Doe summons that were justified.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "That was justified" when you want to express that an action, decision, or belief had a valid and defensible reason. Ensure the context clearly explains the reasons behind the justification.

Common error

Avoid using "That was justified" without clearly explaining why the action or decision was reasonable. Without context, the statement can sound dismissive or vague. Always provide the reasoning or evidence that supports the justification.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "That was justified" functions as a predicate nominative or subjective complement, asserting that a prior action, decision, or event was reasonable or had sufficient grounds. Ludwig examples show its use in evaluating past actions and decisions.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

56%

Science

22%

Formal & Business

9%

Less common in

Wiki

6%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "That was justified" is a common and grammatically correct expression used to indicate that an action, decision, or belief had a valid and defensible reason. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness. It is frequently used in news, science, and formal business contexts to provide explanations or validations. Alternatives include "That was warranted", "That was reasonable", and "That was legitimate". While widely applicable, ensure the context clearly explains the reasons behind the justification to avoid vagueness or misinterpretation. The phrase's frequency and presence in authoritative sources like The New York Times and The Guardian underscore its acceptance in standard English writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

That was warranted

Replaces "justified" with "warranted", implying something was officially approved or deserved.

That was reasonable

Substitutes "justified" with "reasonable", suggesting the action or decision was logical and fair.

That was legitimate

Replaces "justified" with "legitimate", emphasizing the lawfulness or ethical correctness of the action.

That was defensible

Replaces "justified" with "defensible", indicating the action could be supported with arguments or evidence.

That was understandable

Indicates the action or decision, although possibly not ideal, could be comprehended given the circumstances.

That was permissible

Replaces "justified" with "permissible", suggesting the action was allowed or not prohibited.

That was acceptable

Suggests the action or decision met a certain standard or level of approval.

That was excusable

Indicates there were reasons why the action, even if wrong, could be forgiven or understood.

There was a good reason for that

Expands the phrase to explicitly state the existence of a valid reason for the action.

It was right to do that

Expresses the action was morally or ethically correct, adding a subjective judgment.

FAQs

How can I use "That was justified" in a sentence?

You can use "That was justified" to express that a particular action, decision, or behavior was reasonable or warranted. For example, "After reviewing the evidence, I concluded that the decision to terminate the contract "was justified"."

What are some alternatives to saying "That was justified"?

You can use alternatives like "That was warranted", "That was reasonable", or "That was legitimate" depending on the context.

What does it mean when someone says "That was justified"?

When someone says "That was justified", they are indicating that an action, decision, or belief had a valid and defensible reason. It implies that there were sufficient grounds or evidence to support the action.

Is it better to say "That was justified" or "It was justified"?

Both "That was justified" and "It was justified" are grammatically correct and can be used interchangeably. The choice depends on the specific context and what "that" or "it" refers to. "That" might be preferred when referring to something specific that has just been mentioned, while "it" is more general.