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  

/ -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

Derived Forms

• subjudiciary
  adjective
• judiciarily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• judiciaries
  plural

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

See Examples For:

judiciary judiciaries

"It's wrong, and while President Biden disagrees with today's decision, he also respects the courts and the vital role an independent judiciary plays in a healthy democracy," he added.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

In the absence of a formal constitution, Israel has built an informal system of checks and balances—the judiciary, the military, the intelligence services and the press.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

The judiciary is seeking nearly $921 million for security, including more funding for protection at federal courthouses, while the Supreme Court itself wants $228.4 million -- a $20.5 million on-year increase.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

I think that understanding—that the point of the federal judiciary is to enforce Congress’ conception of what the Constitution means—is a good way to make sense of the cases this term.

From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026

On these occasions, the regent was surrounded by his amapbakathi, a group of councilors of high rank who functioned as the regent’s parliament and judiciary.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

The ICJ and other international tribunals consider whether countries have their own independent judiciaries in deciding on whether to intervene.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 2, 2024

The legal battle has been cited in two think tank reports as an example of the regime’s use of foreign judiciaries to attain its ends.

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

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