jeopardy

noun

jeop·​ar·​dy ˈje-pər-dē How to pronounce jeopardy (audio)
1
: exposure to or imminence of loss or injury : danger
placing their lives in jeopardy
workers in jeopardy of losing their jobs
2
law : the danger that an accused person is subjected to when on trial for a criminal offense

Did you know?

We'll start with the answer and you provide the question: A word meaning "danger" that inspired the title of a popular game show. Got it? If you buzzed in "what is jeopardy?" you are correct! Today’s word dates back to at least the 1300s, but its Middle English form can make it hard to spot: it appears in the phrase "in jupartie" with a meaning very much akin to the word's meaning in the modern phrase "in jeopardy"—that is, "in danger." The spellings of what we now render only as jeopardy were formerly myriad. The Oxford English Dictionary reports that between the late 14th and mid-17th centuries the word was spelled in a great variety of ways, among them ieupardyes (the spelling Chaucer used in The Canterbury Tales), iupertie, iupartye, ieoperdis, and juperti. Indeed, like the eponymous quiz show Jeopardy!, today’s word has a long history; we’d wager it has a long future, too.

Examples of jeopardy in a Sentence

the city's firefighters routinely put their lives in jeopardy by executing daring rescues
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Matchday 2 of the 2025-26 Champions League provided us with the season’s first taste of jeopardy. Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025 That last streak may be in slight jeopardy with the release of Here for It All, her first new album of the 2020s, which will have to do most of its damage in sales, without much to talk about in the way of big streaming numbers. Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025 Unclear recommendations have unfortunately put access and insurance coverage into jeopardy this year. Erica Sloan, SELF, 26 Sep. 2025 The series is all flirtation without consummation, amusement without mirth, inconvenience without jeopardy. Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for jeopardy

Word History

Etymology

Middle English jeopardie, from Anglo-French juparti, jeuparti alternative, literally, divided game

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of jeopardy was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Jeopardy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jeopardy. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

jeopardy

noun
jeop·​ar·​dy ˈjep-ərd-ē How to pronounce jeopardy (audio)

Legal Definition

jeopardy

noun
jeop·​ar·​dy ˈje-pər-dē How to pronounce jeopardy (audio)
1
: exposure to or imminence of death, loss, or injury
2
: the danger of conviction that an accused person is subjected to when on trial for a criminal offense see also double jeopardy

Note: Jeopardy attaches, or comes into effect for double jeopardy purposes, when a jury is sworn in or, in a non-jury trial, when the judge begins to hear evidence. The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution forbids double jeopardy for the same offense, and this applies whether the first trial ends in acquittal, conviction, or a mistrial. If a mistrial occurs due to a manifest necessity or if a defendant appeals a conviction, however, the rule against double jeopardy does not apply. The issue of manifest necessity is determined by the trial judge and, if necessary, by an appeals court.

More from Merriam-Webster on jeopardy

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