Meaning & use
moral justification
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A reason or set of reasons that shows an action is morally right or acceptable.
Grammar: Can be countable (a moral justification, several moral justifications) or uncountable (without moral justification).
Patterns
- a moral justification for something
- without moral justification
- provide moral justification
The government offered a moral justification for the war, arguing that it protected innocent civilians.
Some critics say the policy has no moral justification, whatever its economic benefits.
noununcountable
The process of showing that something is morally right or acceptable.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun when it refers to the act or process rather than a specific reason.
Patterns
- the moral justification of something
- seek moral justification
The book examines the moral justification of civil disobedience.
He spent years seeking moral justification for his decision to leave the army.
Word forms
| plural | moral justifications |
|---|
Common combinations
- a moral justification for
- There is no moral justification for punishing people for their beliefs.
- without moral justification
- The court said the action was taken without moral justification.
- provide a moral justification
- Religious texts are sometimes used to provide a moral justification for violence.
- seek moral justification
- The rebels sought moral justification from international law.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ethical justification
- Almost the same, but 'ethical' often relates to a formal code or professional standards.
- rationalization
- Often disapproving: a reason invented after the fact to make an action seem acceptable.
Word family
- moral adjective
- Concerned with right and wrong.
- justify verb
- To give a good reason for something.
- justifiable adjective
- Able to be shown to be right or reasonable.
- justification noun
- A good reason for something.
Commonly confused: moral justification or justification?
moral justification vs justification
'Justification' alone can be practical or legal; 'moral justification' specifically appeals to right and wrong.
Practice
Many philosophers have asked whether there is any moral justification ___ lying to save a life.
Choose one answer.
The fixed pattern is 'a justification for something', so 'for' is correct. 'Of' would be used in 'the justification of an action' when discussing the act of justifying, not a reason that supports it.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “moral justification”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.