What does justice mean?
Justice means treating people fairly, applying rules without improper bias, and recognizing what is morally or legally right. The term is especially common in discussions of courts, laws, discrimination, human rights, and social inequality, where it can describe both a principle and the practical decisions made through legal institutions. For example, a speaker might demand justice for a group that has suffered discrimination, while a court announces that it will deliver justice after hearing the evidence. The word can also refer to a formal legal judgment or to the historical office of a justice of the peace. Its Latin relatives, including just and justify, connect the idea to what is proper, lawful, and defensible. In ordinary use, justice usually carries a positive and serious connotation, although debates about whether a particular outcome is “just” often reflect sharply different views of fairness, responsibility, and the law.
nounJustice is the fair and impartial treatment of people, or the correct application of laws and principles. It can also refer to a court judgment or, in certain official titles, to a judge.
- Fair and impartial treatment, especially in the way laws are applied.
- The correct or morally right outcome of a dispute or situation.
- A legal judgment or the formal administration of laws.
- The title or office of a judge, especially in the historical title 'justice of the peace.'
"The court sought to deliver justice while acknowledging the harm suffered by the families."
"Many citizens continue to campaign for justice for the victims of the abuse."
"The appeal described the decision as unjust and called for a new hearing to deliver justice."
The plural is used for multiple acts or principles of justice and for multiple people holding a judicial or justice-of-the-peace title.
"The justices heard arguments before issuing their ruling."
Justice belongs to a Latin family of words about what is right, fair, and lawfully established.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does justice come from?
The word comes through Old French from Latin justitia, a noun meaning fairness or justice. Latin justitia was formed from justus, meaning right, proper, or lawful, which in turn relates to the root of English just. The related English words justify and justly developed from the same Latin family. Over time, justice came to name not only the abstract ideal of fairness but also the legal process and judgments through which that ideal is pursued.
Related word forms
How justice is actually used
The word is commonly used in moral, legal, and political contexts. It can suggest fairness and impartiality, but it may also refer specifically to the authority and procedures of a legal system.
Easily confused with justice
A justice of the peace is a title for a judge-like official who administers oaths and performs certain legal functions, whereas justice in general refers to fairness or the administration of the law.