jury

¹ American  

[joor-ee] / ˈdʒʊər i /

noun

• juries
  plural

1. a group of persons sworn to render a verdict or true answer on a question or questions officially submitted to them.

2. such a group selected according to law and sworn to inquire into or determine the facts concerning a cause or an accusation submitted to them and to render a verdict to a court.

3. a group of persons chosen to adjudge prizes, awards, etc., as in a competition.

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verb (used with object)

juried, jurying

1. to judge or evaluate by means of a jury.

   All entries will be juried by a panel of professionals.

idioms

1. the jury is (still) out, a decision, determination, or opinion has yet to be rendered.

   The jury is still out on the president's performance.

jury ² American  

[joor-ee] / ˈdʒʊər i /

adjective

Nautical.

1. makeshift or temporary, as for an emergency.

   a jury mast.

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jury ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒʊərɪ /

noun

1. a group of, usually twelve, people sworn to deliver a true verdict according to the evidence upon a case presented in a court of law See also grand jury petit jury

2. a body of persons appointed to judge a competition and award prizes

3. informal it has not yet been decided or agreed on

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jury ² British  

/ ˈdʒʊərɪ /

adjective

1. nautical (in combination) makeshift

   jury-rigged

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Grammar

See collective noun.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• juryless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• juries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of jury¹

1250–1300; Middle English jurie, juree, < Old French juree oath, juridical inquiry, noun use of juree, feminine past participle of jurer to swear; cf. jurat

Origin of jury²

1610–20; compare jury mast (early 17th century), of obscure origin; perhaps to be identified with late Middle English i ( u ) were help, aid, aphetic form of Old French ajurie, derivative of aidier to aid, with -rie -ry

Explanation

A jury is a group that decides a contest or a court case together. If you get summoned for jury duty and get picked as one of the 12 members of the jury, you’ll help decide if someone is guilty or not. A jury is any group that makes a group decision. In the County Fair, the stakes aren't so high — just respect for your baking skills or pig-raising talents. But many juries are convened by courts to decide whether someone is innocent or guilty. In this case, the jury is sworn to act according to the law. Jury comes from the Old French word for "oath," pointing to the promise to deliver the truth that a jury swears to.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jury juries juried jurying

A federal jury acquitted Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk in a murder-for-hire trial that has drawn celebrities, fans and content creators to a downtown Los Angeles courthouse.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026

Inside the ropes, the jury remains stubbornly out on his talent.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

Newsom declined to drop the suit and in court documents demanded a jury trial.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

The grim case led to a series of dramatic twists and turns as the jury deliberated for nearly 40 hours over seven days to determine Clancy's fate.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

She led the guards to the other side of the stage, past the large wooden structures of the judge’s podium and the empty jury box.

From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

And the risk of so-called nuclear verdicts from juries pressures government entities to settle before cases reach court.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

And that weakening support is also reflected in the decline in the number of death sentences that are issued by juries.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

In such cases there is a standard of care in product design that judges or juries can use to make a ruling, Tokson continued.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

In Burke’s case, a number of witnesses have already testified before multiple grand juries, but the records from those hearings are sealed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

But juries, judging facts, found Redcoats not guilty of murder.

From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen

“Dìdi” also won a juried award for its ensemble.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 26, 2024

December through February are the cruelest months in “Winter,” a 14-contributor show at Multiple Exposures Gallery juried by noted photographer Craig Sterling.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 20, 2023

The company introduced a beta version of its digital registry in August at the Santa Fe Indian Market, an annual juried event.

From New York Times ● Nov. 21, 2022

‘Drama: Story-Telling in Art’ The use of narrative in art is explored in this juried exhibition on view through March 19.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2022

Once the first two crates were completed, I carried them down to the art museum for consideration in their upcoming juried biennial.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

The totality resembles a juried exhibition that still needs some jurying.

From New York Times ● Jan. 29, 2015

Related Words

• board
• tribunal