voir dire

noun

ˈvwär-ˈdir 

ˈwär-

: a preliminary examination to determine the competency of a witness or juror

Examples of voir dire in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Court started Wednesday with a voir dire hearing for Mutlu before the jury entered. —Penny Kmitt, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025

Testimony is set to resume Wednesday with the voir dire of Gem Mutlu, Ana's former boss and friend. —Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Andrew Fone, FOXNews.com, 9 Dec. 2025

Once in the courtroom, both sides of a case will typically ask potential jurors personal questions relating to the case, looking for bias, conflicts of interest or other characteristics that may make someone undesirable to sit on that particular jury, in a process known as voir dire. —Kristina Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Nov. 2025

During a voir dire hearing on Wednesday over a Canada Evidence Act application by the Crown seeking to cross-examine Howden, prosecutors and the defense argued over Howden’s truthfulness on the stand. —Dan Robson, New York Times, 22 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Anglo-French, literally, to speak the truth

First Known Use

1676, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

voir dire

1 of 2 noun

ˈvwär-ˈdir, ˈwär- 

: a formal examination especially to determine qualification (as of a proposed witness)

the judge admitted the witness's expert testimony after a voir dire by the attorney

especially : the act or process of questioning prospective jurors to determine which are qualified (as by freedom from bias) and suited for service on a jury

voir dire

2 of 2 transitive verb

voir dired; voir diring

: to examine in a voir dire proceeding

a motion to voir dire the witness outside the presence of the jury

voir diring prospective jurors as to their beliefs concerning the death penalty

—State v. Ortiz, 540 P.2d 850 (1975) (concur)

Etymology

Anglo-French, to speak the truth