jurisprudence

American  

[joor-is-prood-ns, joor-is-prood-] / ˌdʒʊər ɪsˈprud ns, ˈdʒʊər ɪsˌprud- /

noun

1. the science or philosophy of law.

2. a body or system of laws.

3. a department of law.

   medical jurisprudence.

4. Civil Law. decisions of courts, especially of reviewing tribunals.

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jurisprudence British  

/ ˌdʒʊərɪspruːˈdɛnʃəl, ˌdʒʊərɪsˈpruːdəns /

noun

1. the science or philosophy of law

2. a system or body of law

3. a branch of law

   medical jurisprudence

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jurisprudence Cultural  

1. The philosophy of law. Jurisprudence implies creating a body of law and methods for interpreting the law, studying the relationships between law and society, and predicting the effects of legal decisions. In the United States, lawmakers, attorneys, scholars, and courts all take an active role in guiding jurisprudence.

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Other Word Forms

• jurisprudential
  adjective
• jurisprudentially
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of jurisprudence

First recorded in 1620–30; from Late Latin jūrisprūdentia, jūris prūdentia “knowledge of the law” and used in the emperor Justinian’s law codes, published between a.d. 529 and 534. See jus, prudence

Explanation

You want a word that’s a whole mouthful? Try jurisprudence, the study and philosophy of law. You want to study jurisprudence? Get ready for law school, where you’ll find even longer, more troubling words. The Latin-based word jurisprudence is made up of two parts, juris "of law" and prudence which goes back to mean "knowledge." If you study law, you study jurisprudence. You can modify it to show a specific type of law, so you will find terms such as medical, human rights, Islamic or American jurisprudence. Sometimes the word is used as a collective to mean the legal world. This is a new issue that jurisprudence will have to deal with.

Example Sentences

Justice Samuel Alito’s majority opinion gives a detailed history of Section 2 and a tour of the Court’s messy racial gerrymander jurisprudence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

His hostility toward Big Tech marks a notable departure from his corporate-friendly jurisprudence in other cases.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

He studied Islamic jurisprudence under several high-ranking clerics, including Khamenei, and held various senior posts in the ministry of intelligence and Office of the Supreme Leader.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Alireza Arafi, whose name has also come up as a potential successor, attained the rank of an ayatollah, or mujtahid, after publishing over 20 books and articles on Islamic jurisprudence and philosophy.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026

This suggestion may have been reassuring to those unfamiliar with the Court’s equal protection jurisprudence.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• act
• case
• charge
• charter
• code
• constitution
• decision
• decree
• legislation
• mandate
• measure
• order
• precedent
• regulation
• requirement
• ruling
• statute