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 contractors, according to the grand jury, exploited this agreement to the hilt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

"We hope that by having a grand jury return an indictment in this case it will bring us one step closer to a trial and achieving justice," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

A federal grand jury indicted Beirich for participating in an alleged scheme to conceal the source of the funds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

The release of the body camera footage by Attorney General Letitia James on Dec. 27 led to the firing of 13 guards and the indictment of six by a grand jury.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

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

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover