Justice
Etymology
From Latin “iustitia,” from “iustus,” “upright, lawful,” from “ius” — “law, right, that which is binding.” The word ties rightness to a body of binding norms from the start; justice is what conformity to “ius” is supposed to produce.
noun · /JUS-tis/
The principle that people should get what they are due — fair treatment, deserved reward, proportionate punishment.
What it names
Reach for it when the claim is about the rightness of an outcome or system as a whole, not just even-handedness in a single case.
Example
Releasing the wrongly convicted man was a matter of justice, not mercy.
Related idea
Justice is the larger claim about what people are owed; fairness is the narrower demand for even-handed treatment. A rule can be applied perfectly fairly to everyone and still produce an unjust result if the rule itself is wrong.
noun · /JUS-tis/
A judge, especially of a supreme or high court.
What it names
a judicial officer
Example
The nine justices heard oral arguments.
Related idea
The person who administers the principle; a Justice of the Peace handles marriages and minor cases.