voir dire
Americannoun
-
an oath administered to a proposed witness or juror by which they are sworn to speak the truth in an examination to ascertain their competence to serve.
-
the examination of a proposed witness or juror to ascertain their competence to serve.
noun
-
the preliminary examination on oath of a proposed witness by the judge
-
the oath administered to such a witness
Etymology
Origin of voir dire
First recorded in 1670–80; from Anglo-French, equivalent to Old French voir “true, truly” + dire “to say”
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.
Lawyers typically do not pose such whimsical questions during voir dire - the process by which potential jurors are screened - but then, the man who submitted it isn't a lawyer.
From BBC • Sep. 8, 2025
If there's actual evidence that they lied during the voir dire process of jury selection, that could be grounds for a motion to strike the juror.
From Salon • Apr. 23, 2024
But it hasn’t been that hard to get an impression of the prospective jurors from their answers to the jury questionnaire and voir dire questioning from the attorneys.
From Slate • Apr. 18, 2024
Still, during voir dire this week, prosecutors and the defense have given some hints about what their opening statements and subsequent arguments will be.
From New York Times • Apr. 18, 2024
The defendants were inattentive observers of the voir dire pro-ceedings.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
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.
