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• justice
  justice

  noun

  the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness.
• Justice
  Justice

  noun

  Donald, 1925–2004, U.S. poet.

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justice

¹ American  

[juhs-tis] / ˈdʒʌs tɪs /

noun

• justice
  plural

1. 

   the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness.

   to uphold the justice of a cause.

2. rightfulness or lawfulness, as of a claim or title; justness of ground or reason.

   to complain with justice.

3. the moral principle determining just conduct.

4. conformity to this principle, as manifested in conduct; just conduct, dealing, or treatment.

   Victims of rape and sexual assault have the right to the evidence they need to seek justice.

5. just treatment of all members of society with regard to a specified public issue, including equitable distribution of resources and participation in decision-making (usually used in combination).

   Environmental justice means that all people, regardless of race or income, have the right to a clean and healthy environment.

   A group of moms in the Bridgeton area are advocating for health justice for those living around the landfills.

   When we speak of climate justice, we demonstrate our sensitivity and resolve to secure the future of poor people from the perils of natural disasters.

6. the administering of deserved punishment or reward.

7. the maintenance or administration of what is just by law, as by judicial or other proceedings.

   a court of justice.

8. judgment of persons or causes by judicial process.

   to administer justice in a community.

9. a judge on a higher court, especially a Supreme Court.

   the nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court.

10. a minor judicial officer or magistrate.

11. Also called Justice Department.  Justice. the Department of Justice.

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idioms

1. bring to justice, to cause to come before a court for trial or to receive punishment for one's misdeeds.

   The murderer was brought to justice.

2. do justice,

   1. to act or treat justly or fairly.

   2. to appreciate properly.

      We must see this play again to do it justice.

   3. to acquit in accordance with one's abilities or potential.

      He finally got a role in which he could do himself justice as an actor.

Justice ² American  

[juhs-tis] / ˈdʒʌs tɪs /

noun

1. Donald, 1925–2004, U.S. poet.

2. a town in NE Illinois.

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justice British  

/ ˈdʒʌstɪs /

noun

1. the quality or fact of being just

2. ethics

   1. the principle of fairness that like cases should be treated alike

   2. a particular distribution of benefits and burdens fairly in accordance with a particular conception of what are to count as like cases

   3. the principle that punishment should be proportionate to the offence

3. the administration of law according to prescribed and accepted principles

4. conformity to the law; legal validity

5. a judge of the Supreme Court of Judicature

6. short for justice of the peace

7. good reason (esp in the phrase with justice )

   he was disgusted by their behaviour, and with justice

8. 1. to show to full advantage

      the picture did justice to her beauty

   2. to show full appreciation of by action

      he did justice to the meal

   3. to treat or judge fairly

9. to make full use of one's abilities

10. to capture, try, and usually punish (a criminal, an outlaw, etc)

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Justice Cultural  

1. A figure in painting and sculpture that symbolizes the impartiality of true justice. The figure of Justice usually appears as a blindfolded woman with a scale in one hand and a sword in the other.

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justice More Idioms  

1. see do justice to; miscarriage of justice; poetic justice.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• justiceless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• justice
  plural

Etymology

Origin of justice

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin jūstitia, equivalent to jūst(us) just ¹ + -itia -ice

Explanation

Justice is the quality of being just or fair. Super heroes fight for justice because they want everything to be fair and not let bad guys win. Just ask Wonder Woman, Superman, or any other member of the Justice League. Justice is usually associated with the law. A judge is also known as a justice, and the point of the law is to keep everything in a society fair according to society’s rules. Justice (capital “J”) is also the statue of a blindfolded woman holding scales and a sword. If something is brought to justice, the good guys have been rewarded and the bad guys punished — the scales are even.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

justice Justice

Brent Ganger said true justice isn’t possible because his sister can’t come back, but accountability is possible if federal agents are held to the same accountability standards as local law enforcement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

To Assad, a member of the department, its purpose is “to get justice, help put things right for victims, and keep the wickedness of the world at bay.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

"So yes, that is all the justice system has let all of us down, because their one job was to ensure that the sentence imposed by Judge Babington was adhered to, and it has not."

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Nor do they claim that our criminal justice system is flawless.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

I think I have always had a strong sense of justice, of fair play, of what is right and what is wrong.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo

A handful of cabinet-level figures in past decades have received a security detail from the marshals, a division of the Justice Department.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

According to a court filing by the Justice Department in a District of Columbia court, the three outlets were issued with a list of "reporting incidents" by the White House ahead of the ban.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

For students admitted in 2025, the Justice Department reported average scores on the Medical College Admission Test of 514 for Black students and 513 for Latino students.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

The Justice Department in June closed an investigation of Paramount’s Warner bid before career staffers who were concerned about the acquisition had an opportunity to object, The Wall Street Journal reported.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Salmon Chase and the cabinet members found Johnson grave, dignified, and deeply moved.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

Related Words

• authority
• due process
• honesty
• integrity
• law
• right
• truth