Langimage
English

unjustified

|un-just-i-fied|

B2

/ʌnˈdʒʌstɪfaɪd/

not justified

Etymology
Etymology Information

'unjustified' originates from the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' and the word 'justified', which comes from the Latin 'justificare', where 'justus' meant 'just' and 'facere' meant 'to make'.

Historical Evolution

'justificare' transformed into the Old French word 'justifier', and eventually became the modern English word 'justify', with 'un-' added to form 'unjustified'.

Meaning Changes

Initially, it meant 'not made just or right', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.

Meanings by Part of Speech

Adjective 1

not shown to be right or reasonable.

The criticism was unjustified.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:45