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

The local district attorney's office confirmed in June 2025 "the grand jury voted a no-bill, which means there will be no criminal charges related to the death".

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

The program allows non-citizens to testify before a grand jury to mitigate consequences of actual or pending charges against them or others.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

A federal grand jury indicted James in October, but the case was dismissed without prejudice a month later by a federal judge over other issues.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

“I have never seen the types of prosecutorial behavior before a grand jury that I saw in those transcripts,” Perry said, adding that “several potential issues jumped out at me immediately and glaringly.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

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

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover