jurisdiction
Americannoun
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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
- 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” ( jus 1 ( def. ) ) + dictiō “rhetorical delivery, a saying” ( diction ); replacing Middle English jurediccioun, from Old French juredicion, from Latin, as above
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.
The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868 after the Civil War, begins: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.”
The clause grants citizenship to persons who meet two conditions: birth in the U.S. and being “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S.
Over 30 states and D.C. allow transfer-on-death deeds to bypass probate, though laws vary by jurisdiction.
From MarketWatch
Companies raising funds may look to Hong Kong’s capital market amid geopolitical headwinds as they seek secure and highly-liquid jurisdictions as destinations, he notes.
It will have full powers to compel witnesses within jurisdiction to give evidence and require organisations to hand over documents.
From BBC
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.
