justice
B2Formal, legal, political, academic. Less frequent in casual everyday speech.
Definition
Meaning
The concept of moral rightness based on law, fairness, ethics, and equity; also, the administration of this concept through law.
A judge or magistrate, especially in the US Supreme Court. Can also refer to the quality of being just, impartial, or fair.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often personified or treated as an abstract ideal ('Justice is blind'). Can denote both the abstract principle and the concrete legal system/personnel.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, 'justice' as a title is often used for lower court judges (e.g., Justice of the Peace). In the US, it's a high title, most famously for members of the Supreme Court.
Connotations
Broadly similar. 'Social justice' is a prominent term in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American media due to the prominence of the Supreme Court ('Supreme Court Justice').
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
do justice to (sth/sb)justice is donejustice prevailsVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Justice is blind.”
- “do oneself justice”
- “poetic justice”
- “rough justice”
- “miscarriage of justice”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in 'corporate social justice' or compliance contexts.
Academic
Common in law, philosophy, political science, and sociology papers.
Everyday
Used when discussing news, legal matters, or moral issues ('That's not fair, I want justice!').
Technical
Specific legal term of art, e.g., 'distributive justice', 'procedural justice'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- 'Justicing' is not a standard verb form.
American English
- 'Justicing' is not a standard verb form.
adverb
British English
- 'Justicely' is archaic and not in modern use.
American English
- 'Justicely' is archaic and not in modern use.
adjective
British English
- The justice system is under review.
- He has a strong justice perspective.
American English
- The justice reform bill passed.
- Her justice-oriented approach was praised.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher treats all children with justice.
- People want justice in their country.
- They fought for justice for many years.
- The criminal was finally brought to justice.
- The documentary explored the flaws in the criminal justice system.
- Many felt the verdict was a miscarriage of justice.
- The philosopher's treatise on distributive justice challenged conventional economic models.
- Poetic justice was served when the fraudster lost his own fortune in a similar scam.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'JUST-ICE' → to make things 'just' (fair), you sometimes need a cool, impartial 'ice' to calm heated disputes.
Conceptual Metaphor
JUSTICE IS A BALANCE (scales of justice), JUSTICE IS A PERSON (Lady Justice), JUSTICE IS A JOURNEY (the long road to justice).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'just' (просто, только).
- 'Справедливость' хорошо передаёт абстрактное значение, но для 'justice system' нужен перевод 'правосудие' или 'судебная система'.
- Титул 'Justice' (судья Верховного суда США) не эквивалентен просто 'судье' в России.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'justice' to mean 'judge' in non-US contexts. (Incorrect: 'The justice sentenced him.' – unless in the US/Canada)
- Confusing 'do justice to' (represent accurately/perform well) with 'bring to justice' (arrest/punish).
Practice
Quiz
In which phrase does 'justice' refer to a person?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Justice is a broader, more formal and legal concept, often involving systems and rules. Fairness is a more general, everyday term about equal treatment.
Yes, but only when referring to judges collectively (e.g., 'the justices of the Supreme Court') or in rare philosophical contexts about types of justice ('social and economic justices').
It's an idiom meaning to eat it fully and appreciatively, giving it the attention it deserves.
Primarily uncountable (seek justice). It becomes countable when referring to a judge (a justice) or in specific legal phrases (the justices of the peace).
Collections
Part of a collection
Crime and Justice
B1 · 46 words · Vocabulary for law, crime and the justice system.
Global Issues
B2 · 47 words · Vocabulary for discussing world problems and politics.
Philosophy and Ethics
C1 · 50 words · Philosophical concepts and ethical reasoning.