ppl. a. [UN-1 8.]
† 1. Not brought to justice; not punished or executed. Obs.
c. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 5871. At þat day … loverds alswa [shall give account] of þair meigne Þe whilk þai lete uniustifyed be.
1564. Reg. Privy Council Scot., I. 306. He wald haif sauffit the sone of ane theif, being his tennent, unjustifiit, allegeand [him] … to be his awin.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., II. 202. Gif it be won, nocht ane in the castel, except the king sal chaip vniustifiet.
2. Not brought into a state of justification.
1651. Baxter, Inf. Bapt., 308. If they have not Jus in re, then they are still unpardoned, and unjustified.
1661. Papers Alter. Prayer-bk., 104. Those that by living in open sin, do shew themselves to be unjustifyed.
1701. Beverley, Glory of Grace, 51. Let him be Unjustifyed still.
1828. Webster (citing J. M. Mason).
b. Not cleared from a charge or imputation.
1678. Dryden, All for Love, IV. iv. I go Unjustifi’d, for ever from your sight.
3. Not made exact or accurate.
1671–2. T. Marshall, in Hart, Notes Cont. Typogr. Oxf., 166. I haue examined ye unjustifyed Paragon Greek matrices.
4. Not proved to be right or proper; unwarranted.
In frequent use from c. 1885.
1685. Boyle, Enq. Notion Nat., iv. 97. The boldness of these unjustified paradoxes.
1849. Cobden, Speeches, 27. I hope I may not be considered as unjustified by precedent.
1885. Law Times, 23 May, 62/1. The plaintiff’s conduct … was unjustified.
