judiciary

American  

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

noun

• judiciaries
  plural

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  

/ dʒuːˈdɪʃɪərɪ, -ˈdɪʃərɪ /

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

Derived Forms

• subjudiciary
  adjective
• judiciarily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• judiciaries
  plural

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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

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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

See Examples For:

judiciary judiciaries

But sometimes the law Congress enacts explicitly directs the judiciary to defer to the views of federal agencies who have studied a difficult problem and made evidence-based recommendations.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026

Iran's judiciary launched proceedings against the 29-year-old after the video went viral, gaining millions of views, saying the performance was "in violation of the country's legal and cultural regulations".

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

The restrictions on her will apply until at least October 30, said a statement from the capital's judiciary.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

This is the Court’s classic requirement for the judiciary to hear cases, lest courts be asked to decide all manner of differences of opinion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

They had judiciary powers, and could act as judges in both the religious and secular courts.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

Kennedy says such claims have been rejected by judiciaries around the world.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2023

A retired Colorado federal bankruptcy judge, Sid Brooks, who once helped train Russian judges about independent judiciaries, said he knew Palmieri from events at the consulate.

From Salon ● Dec. 5, 2022

He also highlighted what he called "better co-operation" between the Turkish and Saudi judiciaries.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2022

“They must work constructively to resolve difficult political issues internally and with neighbors, to strengthen their multi-ethnic democracies and judiciaries, and move towards a more prosperous, integrated future,” he said.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 1, 2021

First, Europeans have for thousands of years been living in densely populated societies with central governments, police, and judiciaries.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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