petit jury

noun

pet·​it jury ˈpe-tē- How to pronounce petit jury (audio)
: a jury of 12 persons impaneled to try and to decide finally upon the facts at issue in causes for trial in a court

Examples of petit jury in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Farris spoke with Variety to share her process behind selecting television’s favorite petit jury. Sophia Scorziello, Variety, 4 May 2023 Grand juries decide if there's enough evidence to charge someone with a crime, while a petit jury decides a verdict at the end of a trial by determining if a person should be convicted of a crime. Tessa Duvall, The Courier-Journal, 23 Sep. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'petit 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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near petit jury

Cite this Entry

“Petit jury.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petit%20jury. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

petit jury

noun
pet·​it jury ˈpet-ē- How to pronounce petit jury (audio)
: a jury of 12 persons for a trial in court

Legal Definition

petit jury

noun
: a jury of twelve persons that is impaneled to try and to decide the facts at issue in a trial compare grand jury

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