voir dire
Americannoun
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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.
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the examination of a proposed witness or juror to ascertain their competence to serve.
noun
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the preliminary examination on oath of a proposed witness by the judge
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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.
Voir dire is the part of jury selection in which lawyers directly question potential jurors, trying to detect any beliefs or biases that could help or harm their cases.
From New York Times • Apr. 18, 2024
Voir dire in his case was extensive, lasting 21 days and involving 1,373 prospective jurors, each of whom completed a 28-page questionnaire.
From Salon • Sep. 7, 2023
Voir dire, the process where attorneys question prospective jurors before seating a jury, has been conducted virtually for all trials, allowing for trials to proceed smoothly, the order says.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 29, 2021
Voir dire is the legal term for the questioning of potential jurors.
From Reuters • Feb. 24, 2020
"Voir dire is really the start of a criminal trial," says F. Lee Bailey.
From Time Magazine Archive
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.
