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

You might very well pay more than your married neighbor — a penalty sanctioned by the state and judiciary.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Issues central to ELI’s judicial-education campaign have come before the American judiciary at many levels—from state trial courts in California and Hawaii to the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

However, Iran's judiciary on Thursday said that no US prisoner had been released or exchanged from its prisons, Iranian state media reported.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 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

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

The judiciaries in the Republic of Ireland and Egypt have both ruled that Ms Kelly's children must be returned to her.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2024

I feel like these state judges are in conversation with each other about developing an alternate vision of the law that can thrive in state judiciaries.

From Slate ● Feb. 10, 2024

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

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