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

But grand juries refused to indict many demonstrators accused by federal prosecutors of attacking agents, and a Times review of alleged assaults found that most incidents resulted in no injuries.

From Los Angeles Times

Prosecutors said that testimony may have contained discrepancies, opened a grand jury investigation in late 2025, and sent subpoenas in January.

From Barron's

Boasberg presided over the Fed’s challenge to Pirro’s subpoenas because, as chief judge, he oversees legal disputes arising out of the grand jury process, used by prosecutors to secure indictments.

From The Wall Street Journal

Attorney’s Office opened a grand jury investigation into whether the overruns constituted fraud and whether Powell had made false statements to Congress.

From Barron's

A federal judge quashed grand jury subpoenas targeting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, finding no legitimate law enforcement purpose.

From Barron's