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:
Instead, its jurisdiction would be limited to crimes committed inside Kosovo in the immediate aftermath of the war.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
Such platforms are distinct from ordinary spot-trading venues and are squarely within the CFTC’s regulatory jurisdiction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
When Japan has jurisdiction, but the suspect is under US custody, they can retain custody until Japan brings charges.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Cornell has stated that the Cornell University Police Department, rather than the Ithaca Police Department, had jurisdiction to investigate the case.
From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2026
Then the United States would have less jurisdiction over him.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
It is one of around 40 similar suits brought by cities, states, tribes and other local jurisdictions, modeled on successful litigation against tobacco and opioid producers.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
The reason that automatic promotion spots are handed to the champions in the West and Southwest is simply because there are more men's football teams registered in those jurisdictions - because more people live there.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Urquhart said the new incentive would help California compete with jurisdictions that already offer these credits and “level the playing field.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
Voluntary standards would primarily raise costs for participating laboratories, government rules could alter competition between companies and jurisdictions, and an enforceable industrywide agreement would have the broadest implications for chip demand and capital spending.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
In some jurisdictions, if the person lacks the support of the prosecuting attorney who wrongly convicted him, compensation will be denied.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
