judiciary

play

noun ju·di·cia·ry \ jü-ˈdi-shē-ˌer-ē , -ˈdi-shə-rē \

Definition of judiciary

1 a :a system of courts of law

b :the judges of these courts

2 :a branch of government in which judicial power is vested

—

judiciary

adjective

See judiciary defined for English-language learners

See judiciary defined for kids

Recent Examples of judiciary from the Web

Those rights were often denied, however, through judgments by the U.S. judiciary.

— araceli cruz, Teen Vogue, "Mexican Repatriation During the Great Depression, Explained," 30 Aug. 2017
In Poland, democracy seemed to be hanging by a thread last month as the ruling party sat poised to crush that nation’s independent judiciary — until the masses took to the streets of Warsaw.

— will bunch, Philly.com, "What we need now: A National Moratorium to End the Trump Presidency," 4 Aug. 2017
Polls show that 76% of Poles oppose a politicised judiciary, as the protests in Warsaw and other cities attested.

— The Economist, "Poland’s government is putting the courts under its control," 22 July 2017
The court revamp, which gives politicians more say over the judiciary, is set to push Poland deeper into conflict with the European Union regarding its adherence to the bloc’s democratic principles.

— wojciech moskwa, Bloomberg.com, "Polish Battle Over Court Revamp Turns Into Shouting Match," 19 July 2017
Kaczynski, a lawyer, insists Poland’s judiciary system is a continuation of the communist-era one.

— monika scislowska, The Seattle Times, "Thousands in Poland protest government judicial reform plans," 16 July 2017
Conservatives were aghast at the transformation of the federal judiciary under President Obama.

— john g. malcolm, Fortune, "How Trump Has Kept His Own Party From Rebelling Against Him," 15 July 2017
Civil society, governmental institutions, the judiciary, a free press, universities now stand imperiled on an almost daily basis.

— richard kaye, Town & Country, "What It's Like to Be a Tourist During a Coup," 14 July 2017
There has never been a Mizrahi prime minister, for example, and Ashkenazi Jews far outnumber Mizrahi Jews in areas like academia and the judiciary.

— aron heller, Jewish Journal, "Israel's Labor Party looks to rebrand with leadership vote," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'judiciary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of judiciary

judiciary, adjective, from Latin judiciarius judicial, from judicium

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1623

See Words from the same year

Law Dictionary

judiciary

play

noun ju·di·cia·ry \ ju̇-ˈdi-shē-ˌer-ē, -ˈdi-shə-rē \

legal Definition of judiciary

plural judiciaries

1 a :a system of courts of law

b :the judges of these courts

2 :a branch of government in which judicial power is vested — compare executive, legislature

—

judiciary

adjective

Learn More about judiciary

See words that rhyme with judiciary Spanish Central: Translation of judiciary Nglish: Translation of judiciary for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of judiciary for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about judiciary

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up judiciary? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

judiciary

Definition of judiciary

judiciary

Recent Examples of judiciary from the Web

Origin and Etymology of judiciary

Law Dictionary

judiciary

legal Definition of judiciary

judiciary

Learn More about judiciary

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

toothsome

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Add Diction

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066

judiciary

Definition of judiciary

judiciary

From the M-W Editors

Recent Examples of judiciary from the Web

Origin and Etymology of judiciary

Law Dictionary

judiciary

legal Definition of judiciary

judiciary

Learn More about judiciary

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066