judiciary

noun

ju·​di·​cia·​ry jü-ˈdi-shē-ˌer-ē How to pronounce judiciary (audio) -ˈdi-shə-rē How to pronounce judiciary (audio)
Synonyms of judiciarynext
1
a
: a system of courts of law
b
: the judges of these courts
2
: a branch of government in which judicial power is vested
judiciary adjective

Examples of judiciary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
By the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln was calling on Congress to hand these duties over to the judiciary. — Andrew Wimer, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025 People are getting more and more frustrated because of the inaction, because of the lack of coordination among themselves, lack of coordination with the government and bureaucracy, government and police, government and judiciary. — Shamim Chowdhury, NPR, 5 Aug. 2025 Moraes claimed that Bolsonaro had used third-party social media accounts to spread messages calling for attacks against the Supreme Court and the judiciary, according to the BBC. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Aug. 2025 The charges put Dugan at the center of the growing dispute between President Donald Trump and the judiciary. — Daniel Bice, jsonline.com, 30 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for judiciary

Word History

Etymology

judiciary, adjective, from Latin judiciarius judicial, from judicium

First Known Use

1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of judiciary was in 1623

Rhymes for judiciary

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Browse Nearby Words

judicial veto
judiciary
judicious
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Cite this Entry

“Judiciary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/judiciary. Accessed 14 Aug. 2025.

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Kids Definition

judiciary

noun
ju·​di·​cia·​ry ju̇-ˈdish-ē-ˌer-ē How to pronounce judiciary (audio) -ˈdish-ə-rē How to pronounce judiciary (audio)
1
a
: a system of courts of law
b
: the judges of these courts
2
: a branch of government in which judicial power is vested
judiciary adjective

Legal Definition

judiciary

noun
ju·​di·​cia·​ry ju̇-ˈdi-shē-ˌer-ē, -ˈdi-shə-rē How to pronounce judiciary (audio)
plural judiciaries
1
a
: a system of courts of law
b
: the judges of these courts
2
: a branch of government in which judicial power is vested compare executive, legislature
judiciary adjective
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