jury

noun ju·ry \ ˈju̇r-ē , ˈjər- \

Updated on: 23 May 2018

Definition of jury

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

See jury defined for English-language learners

See jury defined for kids

Examples of jury in a Sentence

The jury failed to reach a verdict.
She was selected to serve on a jury.

Recent Examples of jury from the Web

Attorneys for the former Wilmington Trust executives argue in court papers filed Wednesday that the prosecution evidence wasn’t strong enough to support a jury’s guilty verdict on May 3.

— randall chase, BostonGlobe.com, "Former Wilmington Trust executives seek acquittal after fraud convictions," 19 May 2018
For their part, the jurors, in a statement issued April 30 by the jury forewoman purporting to speak on behalf of the full panel of seven men and five women, asked for privacy and said none of them wished to talk publicly about the case.

— jeremy roebuck, Philly.com, "Names of Bill Cosby jurors released as judge responds to media requests," 18 May 2018
In contrast, the MOVE bombing was largely forgotten, while a coroner jury ruled the Black Panther deaths justifiable homicides.

— nicole hemmer, Vox, "The government prosecution of a “black identity extremist” fell apart. Meanwhile, white supremacists are on the march.," 18 May 2018
The Saginaw News reports a jury returned the verdict Wednesday in the case against 51-year-old Ralph Butler.

— Fox News, "Man convicted in stabbing death, mutilation of friend's body," 17 May 2018
Last year's festival ended with jury-member Jessica Chastain taking the festival to task for the lack of woman voices represented.

— refinery29.com, "After Sexism, #MeToo, & Protests, What's Next For Women At The Cannes Film Festival?," 17 May 2018
The 12 good citizens on Gutierrez' jury did not follow his instructions.

— michael gordon and jane wester, charlotteobserver, "A purported gang godfather has a message for Charlotte. So he wrote us a letter. | Charlotte Observer," 17 May 2018
Weter has already filed an appeal to the jury’s decision.

— jennifer summer, Houston Chronicle, "New Caney man sentenced to life for girlfriend’s murder in 2015," 16 May 2018
There was the endless public corruption case against former Hialeah Mayor Raul Matinez, which stalled after a hung jury at his third trial.

— jay weaver, miamiherald, "Prosecutor Dick Gregorie ends career of catching the world's baddest drug traffickers | Miami Herald," 16 May 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.

Origin and Etymology of jury

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

jury

verb

Definition of jury

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

Recent Examples of jury from the Web

Each year the award winners are invited back without jurying, along with about half of the artists in the show.

— kathy cichon, chicagotribune.com, "St. Charles Fine Art Show welcomes chalk artists to event," 9 May 2018
Unlike in other criminal cases, defendants held in contempt are not automatically entitled to jury trials.

— maya dukmasova, Chicago Reader, "News / Criminal Justice Man who exclaimed ‘What?’ in court jailed—without bail—during Jason Van Dyke hearing, activists say," 13 Mar. 2018
Equal parts prediction and promise, Paine’s claim has been realized in many ways: Major aspects of the American political system—from popular referendums to secret ballots to jury duty—derive from ancient Greek precedents.

— nick romeo, National Geographic, "What Modern Democracies Didn’t Copy From Ancient Greece," 4 Nov. 2016

Origin and Etymology of jury

¹jury

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1947

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

jury

adjective

Definition of jury

: improvised for temporary use especially in an emergency : makeshift

a jury mast

a jury rig

Origin and Etymology of jury

Middle English jory (in jory saile improvised sail)

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

JURY Defined for English Language Learners

jury

noun

Definition of jury for English Language Learners

: 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

JURY Defined for Kids

jury

noun ju·ry \ ˈju̇r-ē \

Definition of jury for Students

plural juries

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)

Word Root of jury

The Latin word jus, meaning “law” or “rights,” and its form juris give us the roots jus and jur. Words from the Latin jus have something to do with law. A juror is a person who decides the facts of a case in a court of law. A jury is a group of jurors. When a decision in a court is just, it is fair and right and agrees with the law. Even the first two letters of judge, to form an opinion about whether something follows the law and is right, come from jus.

Law Dictionary

jury

noun ju·ry \ ˈju̇r-ē \

legal Definition of jury

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.