empanel
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to enter on a list (names of persons to be summoned for jury service)
-
to select (a jury) from the names on such a list
Other Word Forms
Explanation
To empanel is to select a group of people for a jury. If you're empaneled, you're part of a jury. Congratulations. Jury duty is one of those things all adults have to do as members of a democracy — show up in court to possibly be a member of a jury in a trial. When you're added to a jury, you're empaneled. This is an old-fashioned word that comes from an older sense of panel, which was the paper on which names of jury members were written. Lots of people report for jury duty but aren't empaneled, meaning they aren't selected.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Belton said the federal investigation continues but he’s been released from his promise to stand down and plans to request a court to empanel a special grand jury to look into Greene’s death.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 8, 2022
He said he could see no good reason to empanel a jury.
From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2022
New York Attorney General Letitia James will empanel a grand jury in her investigation into the death Daniel Prude in Rochester, she announced Saturday.
From Fox News ● Sep. 5, 2020
“There is simply no way that the federal courts could empanel enough juries to adjudicate all those proceedings,” Justice Alito wrote, adding “the whole concept of supervised release will come crashing down.”
From Washington Times ● Jun. 26, 2019
According to Hickock, the “hostile atmosphere” in Garden City had made it impossible to empanel an unbiased jury, and therefore a change of venue should have been granted.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
The prime specimen here is the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, which was empaneled under former California Treasurer Phil Angelides to report on the financial meltdown of 2007-2008.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
In a new development, the panel provided emails indicating the Department of Justice had empaneled a grand jury to look into potential crimes related to the origin of COVID-19.
From Science Magazine ● Dec. 4, 2024
That would allow plenty of time for a jury to be empaneled, to hear evidence, and deliver its verdict months before people start voting for president.
From Salon ● Feb. 7, 2024
Eleven days after the war began, Putin empaneled a special “subcommission” there to review requests to sell.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 17, 2023
Patty, having the reputation of being an "English shark," had been duly empaneled and presented with a local paper.
From When Patty Went to College by C. D. (Charles D.) Williams
The first coroner’s inquest under King County’s newly revamped process to review police-caused deaths opened Tuesday morning with the empaneling of an eight-person jury and instructions from the administrator overseeing the proceedings.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2022
Seven officers involved in the encounter with Mr. Prude, including Officer Vaughn, have now been suspended, and the state attorney general has announced she is empaneling a grand jury to review evidence in the death.
From New York Times ● Sep. 15, 2020
Further, although the supervisory powers of the empaneling judge are limited, grand juries depend on court subpoenas to compel the appearance of witnesses and the production of material evidence.
From Slate ● Dec. 10, 2018
In a sign that empaneling an impartial jury could be difficult, most of the 28 prospective panel members raised their hands when the judge asked whether they were familiar with what occurred during the rally.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 26, 2018
The next thing in order was the empaneling of a petit jury.
From The Story of a Dark Plot or Tyranny on the Frontier by A.L.O. C.
“From the moment you were empanelled over a month ago the burden was going to be greater than most.”
From The Guardian ● Feb. 26, 2019
There is also the question of whether a jury would have to be empanelled to hear and decide Malvo’s sentencing again.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 9, 2017
"She has been provisionally suspended from competition awaiting the outcome of a disciplinary panel that will be empanelled to hear this case."
From Reuters ● Jun. 18, 2013
A new jury of seven women and two men were empanelled yesterday after two jurors selected Jan. 11 applied to Judge Andrew Macrae to be discharged.
From BusinessWeek ● Jan. 12, 2011
Every kiss, hug and tickle of the chin in the chronicle is laboriously snouted out, empanelled, exhibited.
From A Book of Prefaces by H. L. (Henry Louis) Mencken
The jury reached its decision after two days of deliberations in a trial that began with their empanelling on May 16.
From BusinessWeek ● Jun. 10, 2011
No empanelling of juries to inquire into theft, arson, murder, slander, and black-mail.
From The Abominations of Modern Society by T. De Witt (Thomas De Witt) Talmage
The work of empanelling a jury commenced, and when it was completed Mr. Walters, K.C., opened the case for the prosecution.
From The Hampstead Mystery by John R. (John Reay) Watson
The matter was prolonged into September—there was difficulty in empanelling an unbiassed jury because of the moral sentiments involved.
From The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott (Francis Scott) Fitzgerald
"Without empanelling a jury we have submitted the volume to a duly-qualified juror, and are therefore competent to pronounce it a very practical, satisfactory, and useful work."
From Notable Women Authors of the Day Biographical Sketches by Helen C. Black
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
