jurisdiction

American  

[joor-is-dik-shuhn] / ˌdʒʊər ɪsˈdɪk ʃən /

noun

1. the right, power, or authority to administer justice by hearing and determining controversies.

2. power; authority; control.

   He has jurisdiction over all American soldiers in the area.

3. the extent or range of judicial, law enforcement, or other authority.

   This case comes under the jurisdiction of the local police.

4. the territory over which authority is exercised.

   All islands to the northwest are his jurisdiction.

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jurisdiction British  

/ ˌdʒʊərɪsˈdɪkʃən /

noun

1. the right or power to administer justice and to apply laws

2. the exercise or extent of such right or power

3. power or authority in general

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Other Word Forms

• jurisdictional
  adjective
• jurisdictionally
  adverb
• jurisdictive
  adjective
• prejurisdiction
  noun
• superjurisdiction
  noun

Etymology

Origin of jurisdiction

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin jūris dictiōn-, stem of jūris dictiō, literally, “a saying of law,” from jūris, genitive of jūs “law, right” ( see jus ¹ ( def. )) + dictiō “rhetorical delivery, a saying” ( see diction); replacing Middle English jurediccioun, from Old French juredicion, from Latin, as above

Explanation

Jurisdiction means having a legal right over something. A court can have jurisdiction over a legal question, and a government can have jurisdiction over another country or territory. Even your parents could be said to have jurisdiction over you while you're under 18. This noun jurisdiction descends from Latin jūrisdictiō, formed from jūris (from jūs "law") plus dictio, "the act of saying." Think of it as who has the right to "say" what "the law" is. In the U.S., certain crimes are tried in state courts, but when a crime involves more than one state, jurisdiction moves to the federal court system, just as the local police step down and the investigation is handled by the FBI.

Example Sentences

Jurisdiction was consistently an issue, as Argentina argued the case should be argued back home but in the end the US courts kept it in New York.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Jurisdiction: Again, make sure the VPN provider isn’t located in a country with mandatory data retention laws or one that has signed up to international data sharing.

From Salon • Nov. 26, 2025

Jurisdiction is the bedrock of a federal court’s power.

From Slate • Jan. 8, 2025

This is because the archive is comprised of files from the Special Jurisdiction, which from 1944 investigated suspected collaborators.

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2025

Jurisdiction over the city of Detroit and the surrounding fifty-three suburbs.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• administration
• arbitration
• authority
• command
• commission
• control
• discretion
• district
• domination
• influence
• power
• prerogative
• purview
• rule
• scope
• sovereignty
• supervision
• territory
• zone