grand jury

American  

noun

1. a jury, at common law, of 12 to 23 persons, designated to inquire into alleged violations of the law in order to ascertain whether the evidence is sufficient to warrant trial.

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grand jury British  

noun

1. law (esp in the US and, now rarely, in Canada) a jury of between 12 and 23 persons summoned to inquire into accusations of crime and ascertain whether the evidence is adequate to found an indictment. Abolished in Britain in 1948 Compare petit jury

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grand jury Cultural  

1. A jury that decides whether the evidence warrants bringing an accused person to trial. Once indicted (see indictment) by a grand jury, a person must stand trial.

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Etymology

Origin of grand jury

First recorded in 1490–1500, grand jury is from Anglo-French graund juree

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

grand jury

The attorney general will, if warranted, prosecute any offences found by her investigation and present evidence to a grand jury, the governor said.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

The office would present the case against seven fraternity members to a grand jury for potential criminal charges, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

“Despite our finding that the money was misappropriated, we find insufficient evidence to charge anyone criminally,” the grand jury wrote.

From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026

Porter’s family recently asked Hochman to convene a grand jury to hear the facts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

In other words, the grand jury had decided not to indict the officers.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover