justice

noun

jus·tice | \ ˈjə-stəs

plural justices

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 especially : a judge of an appellate court or court of last resort (as a supreme court) 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 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

Antonyms

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 on the Web The league dedicated its entire 2020 season to social justice and created the WNBA/WNBPA Social Justice Council. — Shawn Mcfarland, courant.com, "Connecticut Sun unveil new jerseys inspired by Mohegan Tribe and late elder and social justice advocate Gladys Tantaquidgeon," 8 Apr. 2021 This includes bringing the Tatmadaw to justice for their crimes against the Rohingya, who are finally being openly embraced as our siblings after years of cruel misinformation and propaganda. — Mimi Aye, Time, "Revolutions Are Built on Hope. That's Why I Believe Myanmar's Protesters Will Succeed," 8 Apr. 2021 And that’s ultimately what brought Gacy to justice. — Elisabeth Garber-paul, Rolling Stone, "John Wayne Gacy: Inside Peacock’s New True-Crime Docuseries," 7 Apr. 2021 Bringing the guilty party to justice is extremely difficult and sometimes impossible. — Abdul Subhani, Forbes, "The Need For Unified Data Protection Regulation," 6 Apr. 2021 The Gauthiers said the report and access to the archives may also help activists in their efforts to bring people involved in the genocide to justice – including potentially French officials who served at the time. — Sylvie Corbet, The Christian Science Monitor, "Step toward reconciliation: France opens Rwandan genocide archives," 6 Apr. 2021 Gbagbo was the first former president to go on trial at the ICC, and his case was seen as a milestone in efforts to bring to justice even the highest-ranking leaders accused of atrocities. — Washington Post, "World Digest: March 31, 2021," 31 Mar. 2021 Gbagbo was the first former president to go on trial at the global court and his case was seen as a milestone in efforts to bring to justice even the highest-ranking leaders accused of atrocities. — Mike Corder, Star Tribune, "ICC judges uphold acquittal of former Ivory Coast president," 31 Mar. 2021 In a city that says it’s committed to racial justice, what’s happening here at George Floyd Square shows just how complex achieving that goal will be. — New York Times, "Ten Months After George Floyd’s Death, Minneapolis Residents Are at War Over Policing," 28 Mar. 2021

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.

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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster

Dictionary Entries near justice

Statistics for justice

Last Updated

13 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Justice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justice. Accessed 22 Apr. 2021.

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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

US : a judge in a court of law

—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

jus·tice | \ ˈjəs-təs

Kids Definition of justice

1 : fair treatment Everyone deserves justice.

2 : judge entry 2 sense 1

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

jus·tice | \ ˈjəs-təs

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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