double jeopardy

noun

1

: the putting of a person on trial for an offense for which he or she has previously been put on trial under a valid charge : two adjudications for one offense

2

: considerable danger or trouble from two sources

Examples of double jeopardy in a Sentence

constitutional protections against double jeopardy

Recent Examples on the Web

After all, the double jeopardy rule prevented people from being tried twice for the same offense. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025

For the team losing on Wednesday, there is the double jeopardy of not only going out of the Champions League but failing to drop into the new women’s Europa Cup and therefore going out of Europe altogether. —Asif Burhan, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025

That’s because of the constitutional protection against double jeopardy, or being punished more than once for the same crime. —Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 13 Aug. 2025

In May, Mangione’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss the New York state murder charges against him in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, arguing that the cases against the suspect amount to double jeopardy. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

double jeopardy

noun

: the prosecution of a person for an offense for which he or she has already been prosecuted see also jeopardy compare merger sense 3

Note: The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution states that no person shall “be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb.” The double jeopardy clause bars second prosecutions after either acquittal or conviction, and prohibits multiple punishments for the same offense.