justice
noun
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Definition of justice
1a : the maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments meting out justice social justice
b : judge a supreme court justice —used as a title Justice Marshall
c : the administration of law a fugitive from justice especially : the establishment or determination of rights according to the rules of law or equity a system of justice
2a : the quality of being just, impartial, or fair questioned the justice of the their decision
b(1) : the principle or ideal of just dealing or right action
(2) : conformity to this principle or ideal : righteousness the justice of their cause
c : the quality of conforming to law
3 : conformity to truth, fact, or reason : correctness admitted that there was much justice in these observations —T. L. Peacock
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Synonyms & Antonyms for justice
Synonyms
detachment, disinterest, disinterestedness, equity, evenhandedness, fair-mindedness, fairness, impartiality, neutralism, neutrality, nonpartisanship, objectiveness, objectivity
Antonyms
bias, favor, favoritism, nonobjectivity, one-sidedness, partiality, partisanship, prejudice
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Examples of justice in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Any bargaining between a sitting justice and the White House would immediately raise ethical questions about his or her participation in cases involving the president. — Matt Ford, The New Republic, "Did Anthony Kennedy make a deal with Trump?," 10 July 2018 The viciousness stems partly from a difference between trans rights and other social-justice movements. — The Economist, "A culture war comes to Westminster," 5 July 2018 The court agreed with a lower court judge that Dotcom was eligible for extradition under New Zealand law, taking Dotcom a step closer to facing justice in the United States. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "NZ court rules Kim Dotcom can be extradited to US on copyright charges," 5 July 2018 But the unending conveyor belt of affirmative action plaintiffs means that the justices will never want for an opportunity to revisit their most recent take on the subject. — Jay Willis, GQ, "The Trump Administration Is Hell-Bent on Ending Affirmative Action," 3 July 2018 Your sign is represented by the scales, symbolizing your appreciation for balance, harmony, and justice. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "What July's Libra Horoscope Means for You," 29 June 2018 Another Gorsuch-type nominee could create the most conservative court since the justices blocked a number of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs in the 1930s. — Laura Litvan, Bloomberg.com, "Senate Democrats Have Little Chance to Delay Trump’s Court Pick," 28 June 2018 Robert Mueller's legal team unveiled its latest allegations as part of its ongoing probe of Russian interference in the 2016 elections and possible obstruction of justice afterward. — Ronald J. Hansen, azcentral, "Arizona servers used by Russian hackers to monitor Democrats, feds say," 13 July 2018 Obstruction of justice, whether the President or those around him sought to obstruct the investigation into Russian interference With Friday's move, Mueller has now brought charges in the first four categories. — Garrett M. Graff, WIRED, "Indicting 12 Russian Hackers Could Be Mueller's Biggest Move Yet," 13 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'justice.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Last Updated
22 Sep 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for justice
The first known use of justice was in the 12th century
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More Definitions for justice
justice
noun
English Language Learners Definition of justice
: the process or result of using laws to fairly judge and punish crimes and criminals
: a judge in a court of law
Justice —used as a title for a judge (such as a judge of the U.S. Supreme Court)
See the full definition for justice in the English Language Learners Dictionary
justice
noun
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Kids Definition of justice
1 : fair treatment Everyone deserves justice.
3 : the process or result of using laws to fairly judge people accused of crimes
4 : the quality of being fair or just They were treated with justice.
justice
noun
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Legal Definition of justice
1a : the quality of being just, impartial, or fair it is not the province of the court to decide upon the justice or injustice…of these laws —Scott v. Sanford, 60 U.S. 393 (1857)
b : the principle or ideal of just dealing also : conformity to the principle or ideal of just dealing
2a : the administration of law a fugitive from justice especially : the establishment or determination of rights according to law or equity system of justice
b : fair, just, or impartial legal process courts or tribunals…for the administration of international justice —G. R. Winters
3 : judge especially : a judge of an appellate court or court of last resort (as a supreme court) insults to particular justices and threats of civil disobedience were bandied freely —R. H. Bork
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