judiciary

American  

[joo-dish-ee-er-ee, -dish-uh-ree] / dʒuˈdɪʃ iˌɛr i, -ˈdɪʃ ə ri /

noun

plural

judiciaries

1. the judicial branch of government.

2. the system of courts of justice in a country.

3. judges collectively.

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adjective

1. pertaining to the judicial branch or system or to judges.

judiciary British  

/ -ˈdɪʃərɪ, dʒuːˈdɪʃɪərɪ /

adjective

1. of or relating to courts of law, judgment, or judges

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noun

1. the branch of the central authority in a state concerned with the administration of justice Compare executive legislature

2. the system of courts in a country

3. the judges collectively; bench

Other Word Forms

• judiciarily
  adverb
• subjudiciary
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of judiciary

First recorded in 1580–90; originally an adjective, from Latin jūdiciārius “of the law courts,” equivalent to jūdici(um) “judgment” + -ārius adjective suffix; see judge, -ary

Explanation

The courts and the people who run them — particularly judges — make up the judiciary. Get caught painting graffiti on the courthouse? You just might find yourself facing the judiciary. Another way to say judiciary is "judicial system." It's where you go with a legal dispute, whether you're divorcing someone, suing someone, or accusing someone of a crime. The Latin root is judicium, or "judgment," which is exactly the job of the judiciary: to sit in judgment of people by interpreting the law and then applying it.

Example Sentences

House of Representatives and is the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026

Or Anita Hill’s should-have-been-damning testimony against then-Supreme Court justice candidate Clarence Thomas during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings in 1991.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Davis subsequently spent a year as a law clerk for the new Justice, and then served as chief nominations counsel for the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Durbin is also the Democratic whip in the Senate and serves as the ranking member of Senate Judiciary Committee.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

To honor Stanton and her historic significance, the House Judiciary Committee had ten thousand copies of the speech printed and distributed across the country.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling