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.
In January 2026, Guard withdrew his appointment to the federal judiciary and DeSantis appointed Guard to be a judge on the state’s Second District Court of Appeal. — Jim Defede, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026 Human rights advocates and opposition groups say President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ’s government has weaponized the judiciary to target critics and rivals after more than two decades in power. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 All state and Hawaii County (Big Island) offices will still be closed Tuesday, state officials said, as will public schools on Hawaii Island and courts and judiciary facilities. — Jonathan Vigliotti, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 As Khodarkovsky puts it, the Russian executive was also the judiciary, a feature that lasted well into the nineteenth century. — Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for judiciary

Word History

Etymology

probably noun derivative of judiciary, adjective, "judicial," going back to Middle English judiciari, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French judiciaire, borrowed from Latin jūdiciārius "of the law courts," from jūdicium "legal proceedings, court" + -ārius -ary entry 2 — more at judicial

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

See All Rhymes for judiciary

Browse Nearby Words

judicial veto
judiciary
judicious
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Judiciary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/judiciary. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

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

More from Merriam-Webster on judiciary

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for judiciary

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about judiciary

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of conscientious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All