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

Pastef, which has 130 of the National Assembly's 165 seats, said the changes were aimed at strengthening the separation of powers across Senegal's executive, legislature and judiciary.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

He stressed these incidents are notable exceptions, and that "overwhelmingly, the judiciary have been very inclusive and accommodating".

From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026

More broadly, a lower court that’s detached from the legal reality of the rest of the judiciary is capable of committing grave harm even if its worst opinions are overturned in the end.

From Slate ● Jun. 12, 2026

Beyond this egregious act of misconduct, though, is a larger issue of transparency and accountability within the U.S. judiciary.

From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026

I regard the British Parliament as the most democratic institution in the world, and the independence and impartiality of its judiciary never fail to arouse my admiration.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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

In addition to sharing the experiences of LBQ+ people from across the globe, the report features policy recommendations for civil society, health departments, judiciaries, national legislatures, and security forces.

From Salon ● Feb. 15, 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