justice

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Conformity to moral principles

Nouns

1. justice, justness, fairness, fair treatment, impartiality, equity, equitableness; poetic justice, rough justice, deserts; nemesis (see punishment); scales of justice; fair play, fair trial, trial by jury; affirmative action. Informal, square deal, straight shooting, fair or square shake. See lawsuit, legality, probity.

2. (fairness) due, dueness, rightfulness, rightness, vindication.

Verbs

1. do justice to, be fair, treat fairly, deal fairly with, be impartial, see justice done, play fair, give the devil his due. Informal, give a square deal, play the game, give a sporting chance.

2. be just, right, or due; have right, title, or claim to; be entitled to; have a claim upon, belong to, deserve, earn, merit, be worthy of. Informal, rate, have it coming.

3. (ask for justice) demand, claim, call upon for, reclaim, exact, insist on, take one's stand, make a point of, require, lay claim to.

Adjectives

1. just, fair, impartial, equal, fair and square, dispassionate, disinterested, unbiased, even-handed.

2. having a right to, entitled to, deserving, meriting, worthy of; deserved, merited.

Adverbs — justly, rightfully, duly, by right, by divine right, fairly, in justice, as is just or fitting. Informal, on the level, aboveboard, on the square.

Phrases — all's fair in love and war; give and take is fair play; there are two sides to every question; we all love justice — at our neighbor's expense; what goes around comes around; what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander; turnabout is fair play.

Quotations — Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth (Bible), Judge not, that ye be not judged (Bible), Justice is truth in action (Benjamin Disraeli), In England, justice is open to all — like the Ritz Hotel (James Mathew), There is no such thing as justice — in or out of court (Clarence Darrow), I shall temper... justice with mercy (John Milton), Everywhere there is one principle of justice, which is the interest of the stronger (Plato).

Antonyms, see injustice.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [Fairness]

Syn. right, truth, equity; see fairness .

2. [Lawfulness]

Syn. legality, equity, rightfulness, prescriptive right, statutory right, established right, legitimacy, validity, sanction, legalization, constitutionality, authority, code, charter, creed, credo, decree, legitimization, rule, regularity, legal process, authorization; see also legality .

Ant. illegality, illegitimacy*, inequity.

3. [The administration of law]

Syn. judicature, adjudication, equity, settlement, arbitration, hearing, legal process, the forms of the law, due process, judicial procedure, jury trial, trial by law, trial by jury, regulation, decision, pronouncement, review, appeal, sentence, consideration, rehearsing, pleading, taking evidence, litigation, prosecution, presentment; see also judgment 2 , law 1 , 2 , trial 2 .

Ant. lawlessness, disorder*, despotism.

4. [A judge]

Syn. magistrate, justice of the peace, chancellor; see judge 1 .

• bring to justice,

Syn. capture, try, exact punishment from; see arrest 1 , punish .

• do justice to,

Syn. treat fairly, do right by, appreciate, esteem; see admire 1 , respect 2 , treat 1 .

• do oneself justice,

Syn. be fair to oneself, give oneself credit, acquit oneself well; see justify 2 , succeed 1 .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

1. righteousness virtue, rectitude, uprightness, integrity, honor, honesty, morality, goodness.

2. fairness impartiality, equity, evenhandedness, fair play, objectivity. ''To give everyone his due.''—Cicero.

3. lawfulness rightness, legitimacy, validity, legality.

4. penalty or reward recompense, compensation, reparation, just deserts, redress, retribution.

ANT.: 1. immorality, dishonor, corruptness. 2. unfairness, partiality, bias

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) noun 1. The quality or state of being just and unbiased: detachment, disinterest, disinterestedness, dispassion, dispassionateness, equitableness, fair-mindedness, fairness, impartiality, impartialness, justness, nonpartisanship, objec-tiveness, objectivity. See FAIR. 2. The state, action, or principle of treating all persons equally in accordance with the law: due process, equity. See RIGHT. 3. A public official who decides cases brought before a court of law in order to administer justice: judge, jurisprudent, jurist, justice of the peace, magistrate. See DECIDE, LAW.