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

The BBC has contacted the Zambian police and the judiciary for comment.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

A joint statement issued by the two sides highlighted agreement on two topics after several days of discussion: reforming the judiciary, and seeking access to frozen funds to aid in earthquake recovery efforts.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

I do think one of the ways we’ve gotten to this point is the inactivity of Congress, and part of the story here is Congress’ deference to both the judiciary and the executive.

From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026

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

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

They were also meant to help enable independent and corruption-free judiciaries in many countries, including Venezuela.

From Salon ● Jan. 7, 2026

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

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2023

Diversity matters on the federal and state judiciaries for a whole host of reasons, chief among them, that such diversity determines whose stories are told in court and how.

From Slate ● Dec. 19, 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