jeopardy
n. uncountablen. a situation where there is a risk of loss, harm, or failure. You are in this state when your safety or success is not certain.
n. danger of loss, harm, or failure. Often used in legal or formal contexts to describe a state of vulnerability to negative consequences.
The bad weather put the whole mission in jeopardy.
The company's future was in jeopardy after the main investor suddenly pulled out of the deal.
The defendant's legal team argued that a second trial for the same offense would place their client in double jeopardy, violating a fundamental principle of the justice system.
From Middle English jupartie, jeupartie (“even chance”), from Anglo-Norman giu parti and Middle French jeu parti (“a divided game, i.e. an even game, an even chance”), from Medieval Latin iocus partītus (“an even chance, an alternative”), from Latin iocus (“jest, play, game”) + partītus, perfect passive participle of partiō (“divide”); see joke and party.
Commonly follows the preposition 'in' ('in jeopardy') or the verb 'place' ('place in jeopardy').