What does "justice" mean?
The state or characteristic of being just or fair.
Justice
/ˈd͡ʒʌs.tɪs/ name, noun
name, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The state or characteristic of being just or fair.
- Grammar: justice is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: judge, jurist, actionability, applicability.
- Useful contrasts: anarchy, bias, exploits.
- Usage evidence: Don't you have a sense of justice?
How to use "justice"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "justice" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "justice" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "justice" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "justice" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "justice" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "judge" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "justice", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The state or characteristic of being just or fair. countable, uncountable
"the justice of a description"
- 2 The title of a justice of court.
- 3 judgment involved in the determination of rights and the assignment of rewards and punishments wordnet
- 4 The ideal of fairness, impartiality, etc., especially with regard to the punishment of wrongdoing. countable, uncountable
"Justice was served."
- 5 the quality of being just or fair wordnet
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 Judgment and punishment of a party who has allegedly wronged another. countable, uncountable
"to demand justice"
- 7 the United States federal department responsible for enforcing federal laws (including the enforcement of all civil rights legislation); created in 1870 wordnet
- 8 The civil power dealing with law. countable, uncountable
"Ministry of Justice"
- 9 a public official authorized to decide questions brought before a court of justice wordnet
- 10 A title given to judges of certain courts; capitalized when placed before a name. countable, uncountable
"Mr. Justice Krever presides over the appellate court"
- 11 Correctness, conforming to reality or rules. countable, uncountable
"As to Perſons of Quality, they give Security to appropriate a certain Sum for each Child, ſuitable to their Condition; and theſe Funds are always managed with good Husbandry and the moſt exact Juſtice."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname originating as an occupation.
- 2 A male or female given name from English from the abstract noun justice.
"Justice, the elder, was his only son and heir to the Great Place, and Nomafu was the regent's daughter."
- 3 A place in the United States:; A village in Cook County, Illinois.
- 4 A place in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Franklin County, North Carolina.
- 5 A place in the United States:; A census-designated place in Rogers County, Oklahoma.
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A place in the United States:; A census-designated place in Mingo County, West Virginia.
Example
"Don't you have a sense of justice?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "justice"?
Common synonyms include: judge, jurist, actionability, applicability, arbiter, arbitrator.
How do you use "justice" in a sentence?
Don't you have a sense of justice?
How do you pronounce "justice"?
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒʌs.tɪs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English justice, from Old French justise, justice (Modern French justice), from Latin iūstitia (“righteousness, equity”), from iūstus (“just”), from iūs (“right”), from Proto-Italic *jowos, perhaps literally "sacred formula", a word peculiar to Latin (not general Italic) that originated in the religious cults, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂yew-. Doublet of Justitia. Partly displaced native Old English rihtwīsnes (Modern English righteousness < rightwiseness).
Etymology 2
From justice