justice
Definitions
Fairness; the quality of treating people in a way that is morally right
正义，公正；公平对待
The legal system that punishes crime and settles disputes
司法，法律制裁
A judge, especially of a supreme or high court (title)
（尊称）法官，大法官
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Latin jūstus (conforming to law, fair), itself from jūs (law, right). The ending -tice (Latin -itia, a noun-forming suffix) turns it into a *state*: justice is the state of things being right. The same root gives the abstract value (fairness) and the concrete system that delivers it (the courts) — and even the title of a judge.
Root jur still carries 75 more wordsWhy It Means This
To a Roman, jūs ('law') and 'right' were one idea — what is lawful is what is rightfully yours. So justice never split into 'fairness' versus 'the legal system'; it holds both at once. That's why 'seek justice' (the moral ideal) and 'the justice system' (the institution) use the very same word.
Common Collocations
- 1.criminal justice刑事司法
- 2.social justice社会正义
- 3.seek justice寻求正义
- 4.bring someone to justice将某人绳之以法
- 5.justice is served正义得到伸张
Example Sentences
- 1.
They marched through the city demanding justice for the victims.
- 2.
The criminal justice system is meant to protect ordinary people.
- 3.
Chief Justice Roberts read out the court's decision.
- 4.
She felt that justice had finally been done.
Synonym Comparison
- justice — fairness backed by law and moral right; weighty, principled
- fairness — everyday even-handedness; lighter, not necessarily legal
- equity — fairness that adjusts for unequal starting points
- righteousness — moral correctness, often with a religious or self-conscious tone