judiciary

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˌd͡ʒuːˈdɪʃəɹi/ (UK); /ˌd͡ʒuːˈdɪʃɪɛɹi/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin iūdiciārius (“of a court of justice”), perhaps through French judiciaire,^[2][3][4] from iūdicium (“judgment, court of justice”),^[2][3] from iūdex (“a judge”) (see judge).^[3] An earlier use borrowed directly from Latin, in a Wycliffite text of before 1415, did not survive.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Forming a judgement, discerning, especially in astrology: 1604 in Barnhart and the OED.^[2][5] Relating to the courts or the administration of justice is from 1611.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

The noun, the body of judges or the judicial branch of government, is from 1788 in Etymonline;^[3] judicature had been used in this sense from the 1590s.^[3] Merriam-Webster dates a noun sense to 1623.^[4]

Timeline

• 1604 – discerning (astrology).^[2][5]
• 1611 – relating to the courts.^[2][5]
• 1788 – the body of judges.^[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. The branch of government that administers justice; the courts.
2. The judges of a country collectively.

Adjective

1. Of or relating to courts of law or judges; judicial.

Word family

• judiciarily

Related words

• adjudication
• judicator
• judicatory
• judicial
• judge
• judicious
• judicature
• prejudice

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press