jurisdiction

American  

[joor-is-dik-shuhn] / ˌdʒʊər ɪsˈdɪk ʃən /

noun

1. the right, power, or authority to administer justice by hearing and determining controversies.

2. power; authority; control.

   He has jurisdiction over all American soldiers in the area.

3. the extent or range of judicial, law enforcement, or other authority.

   This case comes under the jurisdiction of the local police.

4. the territory over which authority is exercised.

   All islands to the northwest are his jurisdiction.

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jurisdiction British  

/ ˌdʒʊərɪsˈdɪkʃən /

noun

1. the right or power to administer justice and to apply laws

2. the exercise or extent of such right or power

3. power or authority in general

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Other Word Forms

• jurisdictional
  adjective
• jurisdictionally
  adverb
• jurisdictive
  adjective
• prejurisdiction
  noun
• superjurisdiction
  noun

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.

Example Sentences

Geragos vowed to file motions "shortly" challenging the indictment and the jurisdiction of the case.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

She and her officers drove 50 miles out of their jurisdiction to conduct what she initially claimed were wellness checks of unaccompanied children in the Cincinnati Public Schools for ICE.

From Slate • Apr. 27, 2026

The outcome in 13 of those cases was a loss of jurisdiction, meaning the member resigned, retired or otherwise left the House before the committee could reach a conclusion on the allegations.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

Canada’s minister in charge of U.S.-Canada trade, Dominic LeBlanc, said this week that progress on lifting the alcohol ban, which is under provincial jurisdiction, would be contingent on relief from U.S. sectoral tariffs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 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

Related Words

• administration
• arbitration
• authority
• command
• commission
• control
• discretion
• district
• domination
• influence
• power
• prerogative
• purview
• rule
• scope
• sovereignty
• supervision
• territory
• zone