judicial branch

noun

plural judicial branches
: the branch of government that is charged with trying (see try entry 1 sense 3) all cases that involve the government and with the interpretation and administration of laws and determination of rights within its jurisdiction : judiciary compare executive branch, legislative branch

Examples of judicial branch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Idaho court system, operated by the state’s judicial branch, will remain open on July 2 and July 6 to avoid disruptions, while also observing the July 4 holiday on Friday, July 3. Kevin Fixler june 23, Idaho Statesman, 23 June 2026 Under the Constitution, only Congress has the specific authority to allocate funds across the federal government, including the executive and judicial branch operations. Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026 So the plight of clerks, probation officers and public defenders who work for the judicial branch felt personal. Carrie Johnson, NPR, 19 June 2026 Here are those who served in the judicial branch. Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026 Despite their title, immigration judges are not part of the independent judicial branch and are instead employees of the Justice Department, which runs dozens of immigration courts across the U.S., as well as an appellate immigration court. Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 21 May 2026 Patricia Peck, a council member of Brazil’s Data Protection Authority and author of 46 books on law and technology, said the country’s executive and judicial branches have pushed for big techs to be proactive against crimes online despite evident stagnation of the debate in congress. ABC News, 20 May 2026 Multiple commissioners pointed to another statistic in Wednesday’s presentation: funding for the judicial branch accounts for less than 3% of the state budget. Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 14 May 2026 The legislative and judicial branches of government are not, by all appearances, asserting themselves effectively to maintain the balance of power. Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1787, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of judicial branch was in 1787

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Judicial branch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/judicial%20branch. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster