jury

1 of 3

noun

ju·​ry ˈju̇r-ē How to pronounce jury (audio)
ˈjər-
plural juries
1
: a body of persons sworn to give a verdict on some matter submitted to them
especially : a body of persons legally selected and sworn to inquire into any matter of fact and to give their verdict according to the evidence
2
: a committee for judging and awarding prizes at a contest or exhibition
3
: one (such as the public or test results) that will decide
used especially in the phrase the jury is still out

jury

2 of 3

verb

juried; jurying

transitive verb

: to select material as appropriate for exhibition in (something, such as an art show)
used chiefly as a participle
a juried show

jury

3 of 3

adjective

: improvised for temporary use especially in an emergency : makeshift
a jury mast
a jury rig

Examples of jury in a Sentence

Noun The jury failed to reach a verdict. She was selected to serve on a jury.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
His trial began on Feb. 26 and ended on Tuesday morning after over a day-long deliberation by the jury, per 11Alive. Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 After two and a half hours of deliberations Wednesday, the 12-person jury found Gutierrez-Reed guilty on one charge of involuntary manslaughter and not guilty on a charge of tampering with evidence. EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 But in a split verdict, a 12-member jury in Santa Fe declined on Wednesday to convict her on evidence tampering charges. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 As for magnesium’s reputation as a slayer of stress and bringer of sleep, the jury is still out, according to Steven Chen, associate dean for clinical affairs at USC’s Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Adam Markovitz, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Lawyers argue in front of jury pool Day 2 of jury selection included another dust-up between the prosecutor and defense attorney — in front of the jury pool. Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 Throughout his six-day trial, Berenyi continued to maintain that Vinson had extorted him – an argument the jury rejected. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2024 But in recent years the jury has also recognized lower-profile designers, such as Francis Kéré of West Africa (2022), Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal (2021) and Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara (2020). Robin Pogrebin, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 The jury declined a death penalty verdict and sentenced Hardin to life without parole. Calmatters, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024
Verb
Images Within Bragg’s office, staff are operating under the assumption that the case will move to jury selection on March 25. TIME, 8 Feb. 2024 Justin Ross Harris listens to jury selection during his trial at the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick, Ga., Monday, Oct. 3, 2016. CBS News, 26 May 2023 Miyares cited a bill that died during a recent legislative session that would have given a judge or jury the discretion to reduce the charge of assault on a police officer from a felony to a misdemeanor and a push to end mandatory minimum sentences for certain offenses. Washington Post, 23 Sep. 2021 Scanlan’s unusual win, however, was only enabled because of a rarer occurrence still: Thanks partially to jury intervention in compiling the nominees, there was zero overlap between the BAFTA and Oscar slates for lead actress, essentially freeing the Brits to go their own way. Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Feb. 2023 If charged, the doctor would have the burden of proving in front of a judge or jury that the procedure was necessary to save the patient’s life, similar to claiming self-defense in a homicide case. Kavitha Surana, ProPublica, 14 Mar. 2023 Debuting in May, the brand will consist of both cosmetics and tools — things Davy would jury rig on set and was able to make a reality — like a device to help achieve the ultimate sharp Maddy wing. Kirbie Johnson, Allure, 15 Feb. 2022 Dean will jury those works from over one hundred images that are being submitted to him. Myrna Petlicki, chicagotribune.com, 7 Feb. 2022 However, some courts have historically found that falsely accusing a person of treason is self-evidently injurious to an individual’s reputation and livelihood, lowering the bar to jury trial or damages. Anchorage Daily News, 8 Dec. 2020
Adjective
The company hopes to start the non-jury case on Sept. 19. Fortune, 13 July 2022 That case is ongoing, and a judge has told both sides to be ready for a non-jury trial in 2024. Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 30 Jan. 2023 His ruling came after a seven-day non-jury trial in March. Dallas News, 1 June 2022 That lawsuit is ongoing, and a judge has told both sides to be ready for a non-jury trial in 2024. Ivana Hrynkiw | Ihrynkiw@al.com, al, 26 Oct. 2022 Her allegations formed the basis of the only criminal case against Batali; he was acquitted in a non-jury trial in May. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2022 Many of the lawsuits that stem from these disputes wind up in the Delaware Court of Chancery, a non-jury court which has become a premier battleground for business disputes because of the state's business-friendly incorporation laws. Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 18 July 2022 Weber, a former public defender who was appointed to the bench in 2010, presided over the non-jury trial. oregonlive, 6 June 2022 Wright, 21, chose to have a non-jury trial, which took place over three days earlier this month. Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 25 May 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jury.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English jure, from Anglo-French juree, from jurer to swear, from Latin jurare, from jur-, jus

Adjective

Middle English jory (in jory saile improvised sail)

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1947, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jury was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near jury

Cite this Entry

“Jury.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jury. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

jury

noun
ju·​ry
ˈju̇(ə)r-ē
plural juries
1
: a body of persons sworn to inquire into a matter of fact and give their verdict
2
: a committee that judges and awards prizes at an exhibition or contest
Etymology

Noun

Middle English jure "jury," derived from early French jurer "to swear," from Latin jurare (same meaning), from jur-, jus "right, law" — related to judge, just

Legal Definition

jury

noun
ju·​ry ˈju̇r-ē How to pronounce jury (audio)
plural juries
: a body of individuals sworn to give a decision on some matter submitted to them
especially : a body of individuals selected and sworn to inquire into a question of fact and to give their verdict according to the evidence
occasionally used with a pl. verb
the jury are always to decide whether the inference shall be drawn Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
see also advisory jury, array, grand jury, inquest, jury nullification, petit jury, special jury, trial jury, venire

Note: The jury of American and English law most likely originated in early Anglo-Norman property proceedings, where a body of 12 knights or freemen who were from the area, and usually familiar with the parties, would take an oath and answer questions put to them by a judge in order to determine property rights. Jury verdicts began to be used in felony cases in the early 1200s as the use of the trial by ordeal declined. The questions put to those early juries were usually questions of fact or mixed questions of fact and law. Modern juries may deal with questions of law in addition to questions of fact when rendering general verdicts, or in specific cases under state law. Federal juries are usually limited to dealing with questions of fact. The modern jury can vary in size depending on the proceeding but is usually made up of 6 or 12 members. According to federal law, federal grand and petit juries must be “selected at random from a fair cross-section of the community in the district or division wherein the court convenes.” State jury selection varies and occasionally differs from federal, but the states still must meet constitutional requirements for due process. The U.S. Supreme Court has stated in a series of decisions that a jury is to be composed of “peers and equals,” and that systematic exclusion of a particular class (as on the basis of gender, race, or ancestry) from a jury violates the equal protection clause and the defendant's right to a jury trial. A defendant is not, however, entitled to a jury of any particular composition.

Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French juree, from feminine past participle of Old French jurer to swear, from Latin jurare, from jur-, jus law

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