poetic justice
/poʊˌɛtɪk ˈd͡ʒʌstɪs/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.67 in modern English
26
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Synonym of poetical justice (“the idea that in a literary work such as a poem, virtue should be rewarded and vice punished”).
Uncountable
noun
The fact of someone experiencing what they deserve for their actions, especially when this happens in an ironic manner.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "For though historical Juſtice might reſt there; yet poetical Juſtice could not be ſo content. It vvould require that the ſatisfaction be compleat and full, e're the Malefactor goes off the Stage, and nothing left to God Almighty, and another VVorld."
- "Poetic Juſtice, vvith her lifted ſcale; / VVhere in nice balance, truth vvith gold ſhe vveighs, / And ſolid pudding againſt empty praiſe."
- "[T]he great object [of a comedy] is to cauſe a hearty laugh, in the accompliſhment of vvhich, the rules of the drama and the exerciſe of reaſon are often held in defiance; at the ſame time that poetic juſtice is carefully adminiſtered, and the vices of human nature are held up to merited execration."
- "[W]e cannot expect, nor does poetic justice allow, that a man shall act contary to his own nature through any force of will."
- "Literary history, not to mention countless Grade B movies and television serials, teaches us that poetic justice is a standard formula for popular entertainment. […] Since very few people learn their morality from the theater, the enduring appeal of poetic justice must come from the fact that it satisfies needs that go much deeper than simple moral improvement. We can begin to get an insight into these needs by recognizing that poetic justice is a conscious or unconscious imitation of ideal justice."
- "Operation PAR is the largest provider of addiction and mental health services in the Tampa Bay area. […] Now PAR is going to get poetic justice through an innovative concept which takes seized assets from drug kingpins and gives back to the community in the form of prevention and treatment programs."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /poʊˌɛtɪk ˈd͡ʒʌstɪs/
- British English: /pəʊˌɛtɪk ˈd͡ʒʌstɪs/