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Origin and history of justice

justice(n.)

mid-12c., "the exercise of authority in vindication of right by assigning reward or punishment;" also "quality of being fair and just; moral soundness and conformity to truth," from Old French justice "justice, legal rights, jurisdiction" (11c.), from Latin iustitia "righteousness, equity," from iustus "upright, just" (see just (adj.)).

Justice is the end of government. It is the end of civil society. It ever has been and ever will be pursued until it be obtained, or until liberty be lost in the pursuit. ["The Federalist," No. 51]

The meaning "right order, equity, the rewarding to everyone of that which is his due" in English is from late 14c. The Old French word had widespread senses including also "uprightness, equity, vindication of right, court of justice, judge." To the Greek philosophers (Plato, Aristotle) the notion was of each thing in its proper sphere or serving its proper purpose; inequality of aptitudes and outcomes was implied.

In English c. 1400-1700 it sometimes also had a vindictive sense of "infliction of punishment, legal vengeance." As a title for a judicial officer in English from c. 1200. Justice of the peace is attested from early 14c. To do justice to (someone or something) "deal with as is right or fitting" is from 1670s. In the Mercian hymns, Latin iustitia is glossed by Old English rehtwisnisse (see righteousness).

also from mid-12c.

Entries linking to justice

just(adj.)

late 14c., "morally upright, righteous in the eyes of God" ("Now chiefly as a Biblical archaism" - OED, 1989); also "equitable, fair, impartial in one's dealings;" also "fitting, proper, conforming to standards or rules;" also "justifiable, reasonable;" from Old French juste "just, righteous; sincere" (12c.) and directly from Latin iustus "upright, righteous, equitable; in accordance with law, lawful; true, proper; perfect, complete" (source also of Spanish and Portuguese justo, Italian giusto). This is from ius "a right," especially "legal right, law" (see jurist; from Latin ius also come English jury (n.), injury, etc.).

It is attested from c. 1400 as "right-minded, good in intention;" from early 15c. as "legal, lawful, right in law." Also "exact, precise; marked or characterized by precision; having correct dimensions" (late 14c.); of narrations, calculations, etc., "accurate, correct" (early 15c.). The sense in music, "harmonically pure, correct, and exact" is by 1850.

The more mundane Latin law-word lex covered specific laws as opposed to the body of laws. The noun meaning "righteous person or persons; Christ" is from late 14c. (The neuter adjective in Latin was used as a noun, iustum, "what is right or just").

righteousness(n.)

"character of being righteous; purity of heart and rectitude of life; the being and doing right; conformity in character and conduct to a right standard;" an alteration, attested by early 15c., of Middle English rightwisnesse "rightwise," from Old English rehtwisnisse "justice, conformity to divine or moral law;" see righteous + -ness. The original form is now obscure or archaic. Tyndale (1526) has "Blessed are they which honger and thurst for rightewesnes" where KJV has "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness" [Matthew v.6].

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judge
c. 1200, iugen, "examine, appraise, make a diagnosis;" c. 1300, "to form an opinion about; inflict penalty upon, punish; try (someone) and pronounce sentence," also intransitive, "make a decision, decide, think, suppose;" from Anglo-French juger, Old French jugier "to judge, pron
jurist
mid-15c., "one who practices law;" 1620s, "a legal writer, one who professes the science of the law," from Old French juriste (14c.), from Medieval Latin iurista "jurist," from Latin ius (genitive iuris) "a right," especially "legal right or authority, law," also "place where jus
judicial
late 14c., "of or pertaining to a judge; pertaining to the administration of justice," from Latin iudicialis "of or belonging...to a court of justice," from iudicium "judgment, decision of a court of justice," also the court itself, from iudex "a judge...
Eurydice
wife of Orpheus in Greek mythology, from Latinized form of Greek Eurydike, literally "wide justice," from eurys "wide" (see...eury-) + dike "custom, usage; justice, right; court case," "custom, usage," and, via the notion of "right as dependent on...
basilica
large oblong building with double columns and a semicircular porch at the end," from Latin basilica "building of a court of justice...In Athens this was the portico of the archon basileus, the official who dispensed justice there....In Rome, the style of building used for halls of justice, many of which were subsequently appropriated as churches, and so...
hayseed
The opinion of the court was delivered by Justice Hunt; the chief justice, in whose hair the Ohio hayseed still lingers,...
jurisdiction
early 14c., jurisdiccioun, jurediction, etc., "administration of justice," from Old French juridicion (13c., Modern French...juridiction) and directly from Latin iurisdictionem (nominative iurisdictio) "administration of justice, jurisdiction,"...
official
early 14c., "minor ecclesiastical court officer" (mid-13c. as a surname), from Old French oficial "law officer; bishop's representative" (12c.) and directly from Late Latin officialis "attendant to a magistrate, public official," noun use of officialis (adj.) "of or belonging to
ordinary
c. 1400, ordinarie, "regular, customary, belonging to the usual order or course, conformed to a regulated sequence or arrangement," from Old French ordinarie "ordinary, usual" and directly from Latin ordinarius "customary, regular, usual, orderly," from ordo (genitive ordinis) "r
righteousness
"character of being righteous; purity of heart and rectitude of life; the being and doing right; conformity in character and conduct to a right standard;" an alteration, attested by early 15c., of Middle English rightwisnesse "rightwise," from Old English rehtwisnisse "justice, c

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