Added 1 October 2026
justice
/ˈd͡ʒʌs.tɪs/ noun
In Latin: iūstitia Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about justice at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
The state or characteristic of being just or fair.
the justice of a description
-
The ideal of fairness, impartiality, etc., especially with regard to the punishment of wrongdoing.
Justice was served.
-
Judgment and punishment of a party who has allegedly wronged another.
to demand justice
Origin
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).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)