justnessn.
/ˈdʒʌs(t)nəs/, U.S. /ˈdʒəs(t)nəs/ The quality of being just (in various senses). Cf. justice n. III.
1. The quality or fact of being morally right or equitable, or of having valid or reasonable grounds; rightfulness, lawfulness; fairness; validity, soundness, justifiableness.
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > rightness or justice > [noun]
doomc825
righteOE
evennessOE
lawc1175
righteouslaikc1175
judgementc1300
righteousheada1325
justice1340
rightfulnessa1387
justnessc1443
fairnessc1450
rightfulhoodc1475
rightheada1500
uprightness1541
righteoushood1543
rightship1793
just-mindedness1838
c1443 R. Pecock Reule of Crysten Religioun (1927) 143 (MED) Justnes askiþ þat þe punysching for þe same synne be suffrid of þe soule in þe body.
1548 N. Bodrugan Epitome Title to Souereigntie Scotl. sig. h.iii He shall depely consider the iustnes of our cause, his fayth, and your affliccion by the miserye of this present warre betwene vs.
1559 J. Knox Let. to Cecil in J. Strype Ann. Reformation (1709) I. ix. 123 If..she grounded the justness of her title upon consuetude, laws, and ordinances of men.
a1653 M. Z. Boxhorn Arcana Imperii Detecta (1701) xii. 53 How much the more wicked Mens Hatred did increase upon account of the Justness of the Punishment inflicted upon some of them.
a1680 S. Butler Genuine Remains (1759) II. 479 The Justice that is said to establish the Throne of a Prince, consists no less in the Justness of his Title, than the just Administration of his Government.
1718 H. Felton Diss. Reading Classics (ed. 3) 179 Besides Liveliness of Wit, Purity and Correctness of Style, and Justness of Argument, we see many fine Allusions to the Ancients.
1759 W. Robertson Hist. Scotl. i, in Hist. Wks. (1813) I. 10 Neither Edward nor the Scots seemed to distrust the justness of their cause.
1809 T. Paine in Naval Chron. 21 117 Men are led away by the greatness of an idea, and not by the justness of it.
1844 C. E. Tonna Wrongs of Woman IV. ii. 46 A few days suffice to prove the justness of her apprehension.
1884 Christian Commonw. 11 Dec. 119/2 We are not..concerned about the justness of what Lord Lytton says.
1922 Machinists' Monthly Jrnl. Oct. 654/1 The Wabash officials would not argue the justness of our demands, they simply pleaded poverty and their inability to pay.
1959 O. W. Phelps Discipline & Discharge in Unionized Firm v. 82 The employee's age, his seniority, his prior record, managerial practices such as lack of warning—any or all may be construed as mitigating circumstances affecting the justness of the cause.
2009 M. Labonte in E. A. Heinze & B. J. Steele Ethics, Authority, & War ix. 213 There is no intrinsic value in assessing the justness of war and the justness of the peace as an interconnected endeavor.
2. The personal or divine quality of being just; righteousness; uprightness, integrity.
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > virtue > righteousness or rectitude > [noun]
righteousnesseOE
rightnessOE
justice1340
rightfulnessa1350
right wiseness1447
justnessc1450
droiture1483
rectitude1509
uprightness1541
erectness1646
principle1653
right-mindedness1767
perpendicular1823
c1450 tr. G. Deguileville Pilgrimage Lyfe Manhode (Cambr.) (1869) 66 Thilke scauberk is cleped humilitee..jn whiche thow shuldest thi swerd herberwe and thi justnesse hide.
1531 tr. E. Fox et al. Determinations Moste Famous Vniuersities vi. f. 126v Excepte your iustenes and goodnes passe the iustyce and vertue of the scribes and Phariseis, you shal not haue the kingdome of heuen.
1573 J. Daus tr. H. Bullinger Hundred Serm. vpon Apocalipse (rev. ed.) xii. f. 40v Fayth seemeth here..to be taken..for faythfulnes and trustines, that is to wit, for iustnes, vpright dealing, and trueth.
a1658 J. Cleveland Rustick Rampant in Wks. (1687) 391 Good Men if they miscarry, do not only lose themselves but their Integrity, their Iustness, their Honesty.
1726 Four Years Voy. Capt. G. Roberts 346 I should not question his Iustness, were it a Cargo of twice the Value.
1754 J. Leland View Deistical Writers xiii. 309 The idea given of God in the Jewish Scriptures,..of his justness, goodness, and purity,..is the noblest that can be conceiv'd by the human mind.
1847 W. Carleton Black Prophet vi. 70 In order to give them a favourable impression of his piety, and consequently of his justness, he had placed against the wall a..crucifix.
1899 Southwestern School Jrnl. Dec. 23/1 It was a tribute..to his justness that during the entire regular session not an appeal was taken from any decision he rendered.
1915 Mixer & Server 15 Mar. 3/2 Those who lived by the Gospel would imitate God in his justness and righteousness.
1979 Encycl. Islam (new ed.) V. 4/2 The Mu'tazills..see in it a contradiction to Allah's justness.
2001 J. Vadackumchery Police Morality 238 One must have faith in himself—in his justness and integrity.
3. The quality or state of being right, proper, or correct; conformity to truth or to a required or agreed standard; correctness in amount, proportion, aesthetic quality, etc. Also: exactness, precision, accuracy. Now somewhat rare.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > freedom from error, correctness > exactness, accuracy, precision > [noun]
nicetya1393
curiosityc1400
suretya1500
justness1533
preciseness1569
accurateness1611
punctuality1620
punctualness1620
mathematicality1641
accuracy1644
expressness1645
exactness1646
veracity1666
niceness1678
correctness1684
criticalness1693
precision1698
punctuosity1733
definitude1836
minutia1849
definition1866
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > freedom from error, correctness > exactness, accuracy, precision > [noun] > of tools, materials, etc.
trothc1425
truthc1443
trueness1594
justness1684
veracity1836
the world > relative properties > order > agreement, harmony, or congruity > conformity to or with a pattern, etc. > [noun] > conformity to a standard
justness1796
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > freedom from error, correctness > [noun]
rightness?a1425
sureness1589
accurateness1611
right1633
rectitude1656
unerringnessa1674
justness1832
errorlessness1875
1533 T. Elyot Of Knowl. Wise Man i. f. 22 He shal wonder at the equalite or iustnes of proportion, so exactly obserued, that none artificer can amende it.
1564 in J. D. Marwick Extracts Rec. Burgh Edinb. (1875) III. 188 That..litstars..tak thair jugement of the wordynes of the said assay gevar and of the justnes of the coloure.
1667 S. Pepys Diary 16 Feb. (1974) VIII. 65 Very good music they made... Their justness in keeping time by practice much before any that we have.
1684 R. Waller tr. Ess. Nat. Exper. Acad. del Cimento 10 The Justness of the most Acurate Clocks cannot discover it.
1718 G. Hickes in Mem. Life J. Kettlewell Introd. p. v That Justness of Style, in which all Lives..ought to be penn'd.
1758 J. Pringle in Philos. Trans. 1757 (Royal Soc.) 50 383 Some doubts he had then about the justness of Dr. Springsfeld's experiments with lime-water.
1796 J. Morse Amer. Universal Geogr. (new ed.) II. 102 The horned cattle have been brought to the largest size and greatest justness of shape.
1832 Compar. Coincidence Reason & Script. I. viii. 311 The following considerations appear to us powerfully supportive of the justness of the foregoing answer to our fourth and last question.
1876 M. Arnold Lit. & Dogma (ed. 5) Pref. p. xxiv After we have got all the facts of our special study, justness of perception to deal with the facts is still required.
1908 Westm. Gaz. 21 Nov. 2/3 I do not think the justness of this figure can be disputed.., except as an under-estimate.
2006 W. I. Miller Eye for Eye ii. 23 One can never underestimate the basic moral and aesthetic justness of getting perfectly even.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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