grand jury

American  

noun

1. a jury, at common law, of 12 to 23 persons, designated to inquire into alleged violations of the law in order to ascertain whether the evidence is sufficient to warrant trial.

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grand jury British  

noun

1. law (esp in the US and, now rarely, in Canada) a jury of between 12 and 23 persons summoned to inquire into accusations of crime and ascertain whether the evidence is adequate to found an indictment. Abolished in Britain in 1948 Compare petit jury

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grand jury Cultural  

1. A jury that decides whether the evidence warrants bringing an accused person to trial. Once indicted (see indictment) by a grand jury, a person must stand trial.

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Etymology

Origin of grand jury

First recorded in 1490–1500, grand jury is from Anglo-French graund juree

Example Sentences

A grand jury is a group of citizens who determine whether there is enough evidence to pursue a prosecution.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

The program allows non-citizens to testify before a grand jury to mitigate consequences of actual or pending charges against them or others.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

A federal grand jury indicted James in October, but the case was dismissed without prejudice a month later by a federal judge over other issues.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

District Judge April Perry said prosecutors improperly “vouched” for the case to grand jurors, dismissed jurors who were against the indictment and talked about the case with grand jurors outside of the grand jury room.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

All these people though, and none of them can go in the grand jury room with me.

From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas