justicia
nounCEFR B2High frequency
What does “justicia” mean in English?
justice — the principle of fair treatment and equitable distribution; also the legal system
justice — the principle of fair treatment and equitable distribution; also the legal system (la justicia social, el sistema de justicia)
Example sentences
Una sociedad que alcanza la igualdad formal sin garantizar la justicia social sigue siendo profundamente desigual en la práctica.
A society that achieves formal equality without guaranteeing social justice remains deeply unequal in practice.
El acceso a la justicia no debe depender de la capacidad económica del ciudadano.
Access to justice should not depend on the citizen's economic capacity.
How to use it
La justicia covers three overlapping senses that B2 learners must handle with precision. Sense 1: 'justice' as a moral-philosophical value — treating people fairly: la justicia social, la justicia distributiva. Sense 2: 'justice' as an institutional system — the courts and legal machinery: el sistema de justicia, la justicia penal, el Ministerio de Justicia. Sense 3: 'fairness' in everyday appraisal: 'con justicia' (fairly/justly), 'hacer justicia a alguien' (to do justice to someone). Key distinction from equidad: justicia is the broader moral/legal concept; equidad specifically refers to proportional fairness calibrated to need. In legal texts, la Justicia (capitalised) refers to the institution.
Common mistake
Justicia (the moral principle of being fair AND the institutional system of courts) vs equidad (proportional fairness calibrated to need). 'Social justice' = 'justicia social'; 'equity' in the proportionality sense = 'equidad'. Also: 'hacer justicia' (to do justice to) is an idiomatic fixed phrase, not a compositional use.