judicially
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /dʒuːdˈɪʃəlˌi/
US
- /dʒuˈdɪʃəli/
Description
- by a court
- in a judge-like way
- through legal decision-making
Imagine a judge carefully weighing evidence before making a ruling. That's the idea behind acting judicially. It means doing something as a court or judge would do it, or in a way that closely follows that kind of formal, careful decision-making. You wouldn't just blame your little brother for eating the last cookie; you might judicially look at the evidence (like those crumbs on his face!) before reaching a verdict. The word carries a sense of procedure, fairness, and official care.
The word judicially describes actions done by a court, by judges, or in a way that resembles the formal and careful work of a court. Its clearest meaning belongs to the legal world, where decisions are made through official procedure rather than personal feeling or quick reaction. In that setting, something done judicially is done through the authority or method of the judiciary.
It often suggests a deliberate process that includes looking at evidence, following rules, and reaching a balanced decision. For example, a law might be changed judicially if the change comes through court decisions rather than through a legislature. A case may be resolved judicially when the matter is settled by judges through the legal system. In these examples, the word points directly to the work of courts.
By extension, the word can also describe behavior outside the courtroom when someone acts in a calm, fair, and judge-like way. A committee might review complaints judicially, meaning it handles them with formal care and clear standards instead of bias or impulse. This broader use still keeps the flavor of the courtroom: patience, order, and a serious respect for process.
You probably will not hear judicially in casual conversation very often, but it is useful when you want to stress that something was decided through the courts or with the same kind of formal fairness that we expect from them. It carries a tone of authority, balance, and careful procedure.
Examples
- 1
Court challenge
The family challenged the decision judicially after the appeal was rejected.
- 2
Legal enforceability
Some promises are moral obligations, but they are not judicially enforceable.
Phrase
judicially enforceable
able to be enforced by a court
- 3
Court review
A minister's decision can sometimes be judicially reviewed.
Phrase
judicially reviewed
checked by a court to see if it was lawful
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- judiciallyadverb