jurisdiction
Americannoun
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jurisdictions
plural
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the right, power, or authority to administer justice by hearing and determining controversies.
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power; authority; control.
He has jurisdiction over all American soldiers in the area.
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the extent or range of judicial, law enforcement, or other authority.
This case comes under the jurisdiction of the local police.
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the territory over which authority is exercised.
All islands to the northwest are his jurisdiction.
noun
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the right or power to administer justice and to apply laws
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the exercise or extent of such right or power
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power or authority in general
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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prejurisdictionnoun
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superjurisdictionnoun
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jurisdictionaladjective
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jurisdictiveadjective
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jurisdictionallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of jurisdiction
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin jūris dictiōn-, stem of jūris dictiō, literally, “a saying of law,” from jūris, genitive of jūs “law, right” ( see jus 1 ( def. )) + dictiō “rhetorical delivery, a saying” ( see diction); replacing Middle English jurediccioun, from Old French juredicion, from Latin, as above
Explanation
Jurisdiction means having a legal right over something. A court can have jurisdiction over a legal question, and a government can have jurisdiction over another country or territory. Even your parents could be said to have jurisdiction over you while you're under 18. This noun jurisdiction descends from Latin jūrisdictiō, formed from jūris (from jūs "law") plus dictio, "the act of saying." Think of it as who has the right to "say" what "the law" is. In the U.S., certain crimes are tried in state courts, but when a crime involves more than one state, jurisdiction moves to the federal court system, just as the local police step down and the investigation is handled by the FBI.
Vocabulary lists containing jurisdiction
The Declaration of Independence
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You Be the Judge: Jud, Jur, Jus
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You Can Say That Again: Dic and Dict
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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:
Commodity Futures Trading Commission, not the state, has jurisdiction over these types of contracts.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
The ICC, which was established in 2002, has international jurisdiction to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in member states or if a situation is referred by the UN Security Council.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
The amendment reads in part, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
The 14th Amendment states: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States."
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
Though I knew my project was outside their jurisdiction and that they could not support it in any way, I wanted them to know about it in advance.
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
Such moves by governments added to the market pressures on businesses to move their headquarters, plants and bank accounts to business-friendly jurisdictions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
The San Francisco Standard found at least 39 Flock contracts have been cancelled in 2026 so far, and community activists across the country continue to push for jurisdictions to ditch more.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
Los Angeles could become one of the first major election jurisdictions to implement guidance or policy related to prediction markets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
In many U.S. jurisdictions, an executor is named in a person’s will, not by signing an acceptance beforehand.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
It had a little bit to do with jurisdictions, I supposed.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
