jury

noun

ju·ry | \ ˈju̇r-ē

, ˈjər-\

plural juries

Definition of jury

(Entry 1 of 3)

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

verb

juried; jurying

Definition of jury (Entry 2 of 3)

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

adjective

Definition of jury (Entry 3 of 3)

: 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

Thompson told the jury not to consider his appearance. — Neal Putnam, Ramona Sentinel, "Murder trial starts in Mother’s Day crash," 10 July 2019 After a jury acquitted the killers, the courtroom broke into applause, and a local newspaper ran a photo of the defendants hugging their mothers. — Caleb Crain, The New Yorker, "The Theory That Justified Anti-Gay Crime," 20 June 2019 The jury acquitted Brailsford of second-degree murder and a lesser charge of reckless manslaughter. — AZCentral.com, "Police shootings in Arizona," 19 June 2019 Although the jury is still out on Trump appointee Brett Kavanaugh, the justice who replaced Kennedy, Roberts is the conservative most likely to be in play, Levey said. — Robert Barnes, Anchorage Daily News, "Analysis: After assuring that the Supreme Court is apolitical, chief justice faces major test," 17 June 2019 The jury is still out on whether this wellness trend actually works as advertised, but there are plenty of other scientific reasons to add more seeds to your diet. — Jaclyn London, Ms, Rd, Cdn, Good Housekeeping, "How People Are Using "Seed Cycling" for Hormone Balance (And Whether or Not You Should Try It)," 16 May 2019 While the jury is still out on exactly how far germs can spread through the air, the CDC says that viruses like the flu can travel 6 feet as people cough, sneeze, and talk. — Colleen Stinchcombe, SELF, "These 7 Things at Your Office Are Especially Germy," 22 Feb. 2019 The jury is still out on the cause, but many scientists believe a likely one is pesticides. — Rob Dunn, Discover Magazine, "Our Attempts to Eradicate Insects are Just Making them Resistant to Pesticides," 16 Nov. 2018 The jury might still be out on whether Bigfoot really exists, but over the weekend Zendaya brought her Smallfoot character to life on the red carpet by stealing her signature hairstyle. — Zoë Weiner, Teen Vogue, "Zendaya's Hair at the "Smallfoot” Red Carpet Premiere Took Inspiration From Her Character," 24 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

All submissions are reviewed by a jurying committee and acceptance notices are sent out. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Valley Edition," 10 July 2018 All submissions are reviewed by a jurying committee and acceptance notices are sent out. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Valley Edition," 10 July 2018 All submissions are reviewed by a jurying committee and acceptance notices are sent out. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Valley Edition," 10 July 2018 All submissions are reviewed by a jurying committee and acceptance notices are sent out. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Valley Edition," 10 July 2018 All submissions are reviewed by a jurying committee and acceptance notices are sent out. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Valley Edition," 10 July 2018 All submissions are reviewed by a jurying committee and acceptance notices are sent out. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Valley Edition," 10 July 2018 All submissions are reviewed by a jurying committee and acceptance notices are sent out. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Valley Edition," 10 July 2018 All submissions are reviewed by a jurying committee and acceptance notices are sent out. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Valley Edition," 26 June 2018

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

History and Etymology for jury

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)

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Dictionary Entries near jury

Statistics for jury

Last Updated

17 Jul 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for jury

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

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More Definitions for jury

jury

noun

English Language Learners Definition of jury

: a group of people who are members of the public and are chosen to make a decision in a legal case

: a group of people who decide the winners in a contest

See the full definition for jury in the English Language Learners Dictionary

jury

noun

ju·ry | \ ˈju̇r-ē

plural juries

Kids Definition of jury

1 : a group of citizens chosen to hear and decide the facts of a case in a court of law

2 : a committee that judges and awards prizes (as at an exhibition)

jury

noun

ju·ry | \ ˈju̇r-ē

plural juries

Legal Definition of jury

: 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.