judiciary

noun

ju·​di·​cia·​ry jü-ˈdi-shē-ˌer-ē  -ˈdi-shə-rē 

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

Examples of judiciary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The appeals board oversees immigration judges, who are not part of the federal judiciary, but instead work for the Department of Justice. — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026

To help acquaint federal judges with the basics of such subjects, the research and educational arm of the federal judiciary, the Federal Judicial Center (FJC), began publishing the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence in 1994. — Jed S. Rakoff, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026

President John Adams, after losing his 1800 reëlection bid, used his lame-duck period to fill the judiciary with sympathizers. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Human rights advocates and opposition groups say President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ’s government has weaponized the judiciary to target critics and rivals after more than two decades in power. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

probably noun derivative of judiciary, adjective, "judicial," going back to Middle English judiciari, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French judiciaire, borrowed from Latin jūdiciārius "of the law courts," from jūdicium "legal proceedings, court" + -ārius -ary entry 2 — more at judicial

First Known Use

1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for judiciary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• apiary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• bacillary
• beriberi
• bestiary
• breviary
• budgetary

Kids Definition

judiciary

noun

ju·​di·​cia·​ry ju̇-ˈdish-ē-ˌer-ē  -ˈdish-ə-rē 

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

Legal Definition

judiciary

noun

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

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