judgment involved in the determination of rights and the assignment of rewards and punishments
"The jury spent hours deliberating to deliver a verdict that reflected true justice by fairly assigning punishment for the crime committed."
the United States federal department responsible for enforcing federal laws (including the enforcement of all civil rights legislation); created in 1870
"After years of lobbying, our community finally secured a dedicated office within the Justice Department to better enforce local civil rights protections."
The state or characteristic of being just or fair.
"After graduating law school, she was sworn in as a justice to serve on the local bench."
The title of a justice of court.
In plain English: Justice is the fair treatment of everyone according to the rules.
"The judge ruled that justice would be served once the guilty party was punished."
Usage: Justice refers to the quality of being fair and moral in behavior or decision-making, rather than specifically denoting a judicial officer. While a judge serves on a bench to administer this principle, the word itself describes the abstract ideal of fairness or the act of giving each person their due rights.
An occupational surname, from occupations.
"The Justice family has been running their bakery in the same neighborhood for three generations."
The word justice entered Middle English via Old French and Latin, where it originally meant "righteousness" or "equity." It derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂yew-, which may have literally referred to a sacred formula used in ancient religious cults.