jury

¹ American  

[joor-ee] / ˈdʒʊər i /

noun

• juries
  plural

1. a group of persons sworn to render a verdict or true answer on a question or questions officially submitted to them.

2. such a group selected according to law and sworn to inquire into or determine the facts concerning a cause or an accusation submitted to them and to render a verdict to a court.

3. a group of persons chosen to adjudge prizes, awards, etc., as in a competition.

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verb (used with object)

juried, jurying

1. to judge or evaluate by means of a jury.

   All entries will be juried by a panel of professionals.

idioms

1. the jury is (still) out, a decision, determination, or opinion has yet to be rendered.

   The jury is still out on the president's performance.

jury ² American  

[joor-ee] / ˈdʒʊər i /

adjective

Nautical.

1. makeshift or temporary, as for an emergency.

   a jury mast.

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jury ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒʊərɪ /

noun

1. a group of, usually twelve, people sworn to deliver a true verdict according to the evidence upon a case presented in a court of law See also grand jury petit jury

2. a body of persons appointed to judge a competition and award prizes

3. informal it has not yet been decided or agreed on

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jury ² British  

/ ˈdʒʊərɪ /

adjective

1. nautical (in combination) makeshift

   jury-rigged

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Grammar

See collective noun.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• juryless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• juries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of jury¹

1250–1300; Middle English jurie, juree, < Old French juree oath, juridical inquiry, noun use of juree, feminine past participle of jurer to swear; cf. jurat

Origin of jury²

1610–20; compare jury mast (early 17th century), of obscure origin; perhaps to be identified with late Middle English i ( u ) were help, aid, aphetic form of Old French ajurie, derivative of aidier to aid, with -rie -ry

Explanation

A jury is a group that decides a contest or a court case together. If you get summoned for jury duty and get picked as one of the 12 members of the jury, you’ll help decide if someone is guilty or not. A jury is any group that makes a group decision. In the County Fair, the stakes aren't so high — just respect for your baking skills or pig-raising talents. But many juries are convened by courts to decide whether someone is innocent or guilty. In this case, the jury is sworn to act according to the law. Jury comes from the Old French word for "oath," pointing to the promise to deliver the truth that a jury swears to.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jury juries juried jurying

Before the jury was brought in, Banks, dressed in a gray suit, blew a kiss to his wife.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

“It shows absolute disrespect for the court, for the jury, for this entire process,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Robert McGuire secured a grand jury indictment against Abrego Garcia for human smuggling charges related to a 2022 traffic stop.

From Slate ● Aug. 23, 2026

The lawsuit asks for a jury trial, an injunction against ongoing and future copyright infringement and unspecified damages.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

He was acquitted by a jury on May 27, 1920.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

Hydee Feldstein Soto, who heads the city attorney’s office, has argued rising costs are the results of juries feeling increasingly antagonistic to local government.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

Yuval Raphael's song, New Day Will Rise, placed 15th with the contest's juries - but outperformed every other participant in the public vote, scoring 297 points.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

In such cases there is a standard of care in product design that judges or juries can use to make a ruling, Tokson continued.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

Judges and lay juries decide cases—whether this company wronged this plaintiff, on the record and before the court.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

Other women’s rights legislation followed: Wyoming women were soon given the right to sue and be sued, to serve on juries, and to enter contracts.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

The award is selected by a panel and was announced in advance along with other juried awards.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2025

In the festival’s five juried competitions, the grand jury prize in the Official Competition went to “20,000 Species of Bees,” a coming-of-age drama from Spain.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 1, 2023

The company introduced a beta version of its digital registry in August at the Santa Fe Indian Market, an annual juried event.

From New York Times ● Nov. 21, 2022

“Hear Her” closes Feb. 26; “Young Contemporaries 2022,” an annual juried student exhibition, will follow starting March 18.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 11, 2022

Once the first two crates were completed, I carried them down to the art museum for consideration in their upcoming juried biennial.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

The totality resembles a juried exhibition that still needs some jurying.

From New York Times ● Jan. 29, 2015

Related Words

• board
• tribunal