justice

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noun jus·tice \ ˈjə-stəs \

Definition of justice

1 a :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

2 a :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

See justice defined for English-language learners

See justice defined for kids

Examples of justice in a Sentence

They received justice in court.
the U.S. Department of Justice
criminals attempting to escape justice
The role of the courts is to dispense justice fairly to everyone.
She is a justice of the state supreme court.
I saw no justice in the court's decision.
We should strive to achieve justice for all people.

Recent Examples of justice from the Web

There was still more to learn about the criminal justice system.

— bijan stephen, GQ, "The Second Act of Nnamdi Asomugha," 30 Aug. 2017
Trump’s pardon of Arpaio, while legal, was unquestionably an abuse of power and rebuke to the justice system.

— benjamin hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Reportedly Wanted to Kill Arpaio Investigation Before Conviction," 27 Aug. 2017
Presidents can set law enforcement priorities, but they are expected to steer clear of involvement in specific cases to avoid the perception of politicizing the impartial administration of justice.

— the new york times, NOLA.com, "As White Nationalist in Charlottesville Fired, Police 'Never Moved'," 26 Aug. 2017
That included providing information on community services, navigating the criminal-justice system, developing a safety plan for future problems, and dealing with concerns and requests.

— steve miletich, The Seattle Times, "Victim advocate: Charleena Lyles faced boyfriend’s escalating violence," 25 Aug. 2017
These artists used outer space to explore issues ranging from border control and xenophobia to social justice.

— jori finkel, New York Times, "For Latino Artists in Sci-Fi Show, Everyone’s an Alien," 25 Aug. 2017
In addition to his advocacy for corrections officers and on criminal-justice issues, Evers was a staunch defender of Second Amendment rights.

— OrlandoSentinel.com, "Former state Sen. Greg Evers killed in car crash," 22 Aug. 2017
Americans by default and without any meaningful choice are putting their trust in a collection of companies that are largely ideological monocultures disproportionately influenced by the social-justice Left.

— david french, National Review, "Journalists Overreach in Their Quest to Purge ‘Hate’ from the Web," 21 Aug. 2017
Poppy Prophecy's acts are as despicable as Papa Pilgrim's, but Marusek fails to put him in his place (although granted this is the first of three books on the topic, so perhaps justice will be meted out later).

— Alaska Dispatch News, "Weirdest book ever in the weird state of Alaska?," 19 Aug. 2017

These 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.

Origin and Etymology of justice

Middle English, from Anglo-French justise, from Latin justitia, from justus — see ¹just

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 12th century

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justice Synonyms

Synonyms

equity, fair shake, right

Antonyms

inequity, injustice, raw deal, wrong

Related Words

equitability, equitableness, evenhandedness, fair-mindedness, fairness, impartiality; goodness, righteousness, virtue; honor, integrity, uprightness

Near Antonyms

bias, one-sidedness, partiality, prejudice; unfairness, unjustness, wrongfulness; corruption, impropiety; crime, offense (or offence), wrongdoing; disservice, harm

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

JUSTICE Defined for English Language Learners

justice

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noun

Definition of justice for English Language Learners

: 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)