jeopardy

noun jeop·ar·dy \ ˈje-pər-dē \

Definition of jeopardy

1 :exposure to or imminence of death, loss, or injury :danger

placing their lives in jeopardy

workers in jeopardy of losing their jobs

2 law :the danger that an accused person is subjected to when on trial for a criminal offense

See jeopardy defined for English-language learners

See jeopardy defined for kids

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Examples of jeopardy in a Sentence

the city's firefighters routinely put their lives in jeopardy by executing daring rescues

Recent Examples of jeopardy from the Web

The most notable example of this came when a federal judge canceled the Redskins' trademark because of its disparaging nature, a ruling now in jeopardy after a Supreme Court ruling late last year.

— daniel rapaport, SI.com, "A Maryland School is Prohibiting Students From Wearing Redskins Gear, Citing "Deeply Insulting" Name," 29 Aug. 2017
Street-style drag racing is returning to Kansas City with Operation Outlaw on Oct. 7 at Kansas Speedway, but the increasingly popular motorsport’s future at the venue was in jeopardy just two months ago.

— tod palmer, kansascity, "Kansas Speedway green lights October drag race after previous cancellation," 26 Aug. 2017
Meanwhile, under Betsy DeVos, federal support for Title IX programs is in jeopardy.

— ann friedman, The Cut, "The Sexual-Assault Generation Gap," 25 Aug. 2017
Even before the interview, the president signaled Bannon’s fate could be in jeopardy.

— joshua green, Bloomberg.com, "Bannon Says He’s ‘Going to War for Trump’ After White House Exit," 18 Aug. 2017
A Tom Cruise injury puts the next Mission Impossible in jeopardy.

— rebecca keegan, vanityfair.com, "Cruise Takes a Bruising," 17 Aug. 2017
Desert ecosystems dominated by spinifex or Triodia grasses cover about 70% of Australia, but the only long-term experiment for studying them is set in a section of the desert in western Queensland—and that research site is now in jeopardy.

— john pickrell, Science | AAAS, "Australia to ax support for long-term ecology sites," 11 Aug. 2017
Consider this: Are future hand transplants at Jewish Hospital in jeopardy?

— grace schneider, The Courier-Journal, "Will Jewish Hospital's organ-transplant program survive KentuckyOne Health's sell-off?," 10 Aug. 2017
Now, a week later, the sale looks to be in jeopardy.

— william d. cohan, The Hive, "The Mooch Is Dead! Long Live the Mooch!," 31 July 2017

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

Did You Know?

Centuries ago, the Old French term jeu parti didn't mean "danger" but rather "an alternative" or, literally, "a divided game." That French expression was used for anything that represented an alternative viewpoint or gave two opposing viewpoints. "Jeu parti" passed into Anglo-French as juparti, and from there it was borrowed into Middle English and respelled "jeopardie." At first, the English word was used to refer to the risks associated with alternative moves in the game of chess. Soon, however, the term came to be used more generally in the "risk" or "danger" sense that it has today.

Origin and Etymology of jeopardy

Middle English jeopardie, from Anglo-French juparti, jeuparti alternative, literally, divided game

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

jeopardy Synonyms

Synonyms

distress, endangerment, harm's way, imperilment, danger, peril, risk, trouble

Antonyms

safeness, safety, secureness, security

Related Words

exposure, liability, openness, vulnerability; precariousness, threat; susceptibility, susceptibleness; defenselessness, helplessness, weakness

Near Antonyms

preservation, salvation; defense, protection; exemption, immunity, impunity, inviolability, invulnerability

JEOPARDY Defined for Kids

jeopardy

noun jeop·ar·dy \ ˈje-pər-dē \

Definition of jeopardy for Students

:danger 1

The wrong choice could put your future in jeopardy.

History for jeopardy

In French jeu parti means literally “divided game.” This phrase was used in medieval France for situations involving alternative possibilities, such as a chess game where a player could not be sure which of two plays would be better. In this sense jeu parti was borrowed into English as jeopardie. It came to be applied to any situation involving equal chances for success or failure. Gradually, the element of risk or danger in such a choice became the word's meaning.

Law Dictionary

jeopardy

noun jeop·ar·dy \ ˈje-pər-dē \

legal Definition of jeopardy

1 :exposure to or imminence of death, loss, or injury

2 :the danger of conviction that an accused person is subjected to when on trial for a criminal offense — see also double jeopardy

Note: Jeopardy attaches, or comes into effect for double jeopardy purposes, when a jury is sworn in or, in a non-jury trial, when the judge begins to hear evidence. The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution forbids double jeopardy for the same offense, and this applies whether the first trial ends in acquittal, conviction, or a mistrial. If a mistrial occurs due to a manifest necessity or if a defendant appeals a conviction, however, the rule against double jeopardy does not apply. The issue of manifest necessity is determined by the trial judge and, if necessary, by an appeals court.