jury
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a group of ordinary people who listen to the facts of a court case and decide if someone is guilty.
n.a body of people, typically twelve, sworn to give a verdict in a legal case on the basis of evidence submitted to them in court.
Simple“The jury took three days to decide that the man was not guilty.”
In context“After deliberating for nearly forty-eight hours, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty on all counts.”
UsageUsually takes a singular verb in American English and can take a singular or plural verb in British English.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a group of people who judge a competition or contest.
n.a committee or panel of judges appointed to award prizes or rank participants in a competition.
Simple“The international jury awarded the top prize to a young pianist from Poland.”
In context“The film festival jury faced a difficult decision given the high calibre of entries in the documentary category this year.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.the people watching the first night of a play, whose reaction decides if it is a success.
n.the audience at a first-night performance, regarded as the final judges of the production's quality and commercial viability.
Simple“The director was nervous about how the jury would react to the new ending.”
In context“The playwright stood at the back of the stalls, anxiously gauging the mood of the jury as the first act drew to a close.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
v.to judge something using a panel of experts or a jury.
v.to evaluate or select through the process of a jury, often used in the context of art exhibitions or academic competitions.
Simple“Only the best paintings will be juried into the national exhibition.”
In context“The student's portfolio was juried by a panel of senior faculty members before she was admitted to the advanced programme.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
adj.used to describe a temporary fix or repair made quickly in an emergency.
adj.describing a temporary or makeshift contrivance, particularly in a nautical context for emergency repairs.
Simple“The sailors built a jury mast after the main one broke during the storm.”
In context“With the rudder damaged, the crew had to rig a jury steering system to keep the vessel on course until they reached the nearest port.”
UsageAlmost always used as an attributive adjective before the noun it modifies.
SynonymsAntonyms
Usage jury found · jury selection · jury trial
“Clancy lacked control and was likely unable to tell the difference between right and wrong on that January 2023 day, he told the jury on Friday.”
“The jury was played a recording of a 999 call made by Gartshore in which she said her child had gone "purple" while she was asleep .”
From Middle English jure, from Anglo-Norman juree, from Medieval Latin iūrāta, from Latin iūrō (“I swear or take an oath”).
Early 1600s, of uncertain origin. Perhaps ultimately from Old French ajurie, from Latin adiūtō. Alternatively, perhaps ultimately from Frankish *garu (“ready, prepared”), related to Middle English yore, ȝare, from Old English ġeoro, ġearu (“ready, prompt, prepared, quick”), related to gear.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.