Jeopardizing Definition & Meaning

Jeopardize Has a Controversial History

It may be hard to believe that jeopardize was once controversial, but in 1870 a grammarian called it "a foolish and intolerable word," a view shared by many 19th-century critics. The preferred word was jeopard, which first appeared in print in the 14th century. (The upstart jeopardize didn't arrive until the late 16th century.) In 1828, Noah Webster himself declared jeopardize to be "a modern word, used by respectable writers in America, but synonymous with jeopard, and therefore useless." Unfortunately for the champions of jeopard, jeopardize is now much more popular.

Examples of jeopardize in a Sentence

His health has been jeopardized by poor nutrition. don't do anything that will jeopardize your place on the advisory board

Recent Examples on the Web Dropping below what the outlets were designed to handle would jeopardize delivery of the water needed to irrigate farms and fully supply cities from Phoenix and Las Vegas to Los Angeles and Tijuana. — Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 4 Aug. 2022 By virtually banning the exclusive employment agreements used today as the foundation of film, television and streaming productions, this bill would jeopardize countless productions in this state. — Charles Rivkin, Variety, 1 Aug. 2022 The spread of African swine fever would jeopardize a sector that brings in more than $20 billion in annual revenue, according to official estimates. — Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 17 July 2022 Incarcerated people can sometimes jeopardize themselves physically in exchange for leniency. — Bonnie Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2022 That action might jeopardize the retirement plans qualification and the protection that their otherwise qualified plan may have provided. — Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 7 June 2022 That could jeopardize one of Biden’s top clean energy goals and run counter to his Democratic administration’s push for renewable energy such as wind and solar power. — Will Weissert, Anchorage Daily News, 6 June 2022 That could jeopardize one of Biden's top clean energy goals and run counter to his Democratic administration's push for renewable energy such as wind and solar power. — Will Weissert, ajc, 6 June 2022 That could jeopardize its passage through the Senate, where Democrats have pledged to hold a vote but need the support of ten Republicans to advance legislation past the 60-vote threshold. — Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 19 May 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'jeopardize.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.