judicial

adjective

ju·​di·​cial jü-ˈdi-shəl 

1

a

: of or relating to a judgment, the function of judging, the administration of justice, or the judiciary

judicial processes

judicial powers

b

: belonging to the branch of government that is charged with trying all cases that involve the government and with the administration of justice within its jurisdiction compare executive, legislative

2

: ordered or enforced by a court

a judicial sale

3

: belonging or appropriate to a judge or the judiciary

judicial robes

judicial dignity

4

: of, characterized by, or expressing judgment : critical sense 2d

5

: arising from a judgment of God

judicially

jü-ˈdi-sh(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of judicial in a Sentence

the judicial branch of government

Recent Examples on the Web

Litigants and courts could pursue medical inspections, additional reporting requirements, or injunctive relief if judges determine that detainees' health or constitutional rights were at imminent risk, but specific judicial orders and timelines remained under consideration at the time of reporting. —Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025

Los Angeles County Superior Court’s presiding judge issued a critical statement in response to questions about Wednesday’s incident, saying such operations will have a negative effect on the judicial system. —Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025

Traditionally, the state's two U.S. senators have set up a bipartisan nominating commission that accepts applicants for judicial openings, interviews some of the candidates and forwards suggestions to the two senators. —Daniel Bice, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025

That means half of the county’s RTA sales tax revenue will go toward public safety and judicial costs, while the other half will still go toward transportation costs and capital projects. —Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin judicialis, from judicium judgment, from judex — see judge entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing judicial

• judicial review
• quasi-judicial

Rhymes for judicial

• initial
• official
• simplicial
• surficial
• artificial
• beneficial
• cicatricial
• interstitial
• nonjudicial
• nonofficial
• prejudicial
• sacrificial

Kids Definition

judicial

adjective

ju·​di·​cial ju̇-ˈdish-əl 

1

: of or relating to courts or judges

2

: ordered or enforced by a court

a judicial decision

judicially

-(ə-)lē 

adverb

Legal Definition

judicial

adjective

ju·​di·​cial jü-ˈdi-shəl 

1

a

: of or relating to a judgment, the function of judging, the administration of justice, or the judiciary

b

: of, relating to, or being the branch of government that is charged with trying all cases that involve the government and with the administration of justice within its jurisdiction compare administrative sense 2, executive sense 1, legislative

2

: created, ordered, or enforced by a court

a judicial foreclosure

compare conventional sense 1, legal sense 2c

judicially adverb

Etymology

Latin judicialis, from judicium judgment, from judic-, judex judge, from jus right, law + dicere to determine, say