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Glite Dictionary
rough justice

rough justice

1 8.1
A harsh punishment people give without help from the police or courts
  • noun
  • NSFW
translation icon : justicia salvaje
  • After the corrupt officials were caught, the community opted for rough justice instead of waiting for a trial.

I mean, I say that that there is some rough justice in that, but it we it would be better if we were not living in a world that this was happening at all.

Examples

  • I mean, I say that that there is some rough justice in that, but it we it would be better if we were not living in a world that this was happening at all.

    Triggernometry

  • I mean, I say that that there is some rough justice in that, but it we it would be better if we were not living in a world that this was happening at all.

    Triggernometry

  • This tradition of "rough" justice did not give way until the prison established itself as the normative disciplinary vehicle through the example and influence of the Church.

    Academic text (2004)

  • He killed to administer rough justice, and in contrite compensation for previous killings, also in fits of madness and chance encounters.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • According to the American Law Institute's Principles of the Law of Aggregate Litigation, which reflect the combined work of scholars, litigants, and judges, allocations of awards should be distributed according to these principles of vertical equity, horizontal equity, and rough justice.

    Academic text (2017)

  • The villagers took matters into their own hands and delivered rough justice to the thief.

  • In many remote areas, people often feel they must resort to rough justice to protect their interests.

Synonyms

cruel and unusual punishment
vsrough justice
  • Formal
14 5.9

Punishment that is very cruel or too harsh for the crime and not allowed by law

is carried out outside legal or official channels rather than by authorities
raw deal
vsrough justice
  • Informal
13 4.4

Unfair treatment that hurts someone and is not deserved

is a severe action taken outside legal channels rather than general unfair treatment
inhuman treatment
vsrough justice
  • Offensive
1 8.3

An act that causes someone great pain and suffering on purpose

is a harsh penalty applied outside legal or official channels

Antonyms

justice
∞ 2.5

Fair treatment of people and the courts that decide it

Surface Forms

rough justice singular
rough justices plural

Morphology

rough + justice

The core sense—a harsh or severe form of justice—is directly derivable from combining 'rough' (harsh) with 'justice' (punishment/fairness), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would grasp the basic meaning. However, the extra pragmatic nuance that it often implies informal or extrajudicial punishment (summary/vigilante action) is not fully predictable from the words alone, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Rough justice comes from the image of people giving a quick, harsh punishment themselves: rough means harsh and justice means punishment. So, it now means 'punishment that is harsh and not done by the courts'.