# jury

/ˈdʒʊɹi/ (US) · /dʒˈɔːɹi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/jury
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. legal group

noun · CEFR B2

a group of ordinary people who listen to the facts of a court case and decide if someone is guilty.

For teachers: 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.

- The jury took three days to decide that the man was not guilty.
- After deliberating for nearly forty-eight hours, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty on all counts.

Usage: Usually takes a singular verb in American English and can take a singular or plural verb in British English.

### 2. competition judges

noun · CEFR B2

a group of people who judge a competition or contest.

For teachers: a committee or panel of judges appointed to award prizes or rank participants in a competition.

- The international jury awarded the top prize to a young pianist from Poland.
- The film festival jury faced a difficult decision given the high calibre of entries in the documentary category this year.

### 3. theatre audience

noun · CEFR C2 · Slang

the people watching the first night of a play, whose reaction decides if it is a success.

For teachers: the audience at a first-night performance, regarded as the final judges of the production's quality and commercial viability.

- The director was nervous about how the jury would react to the new ending.
- The playwright stood at the back of the stalls, anxiously gauging the mood of the jury as the first act drew to a close.

### 4. to judge

verb · CEFR C1 · Academic

to judge something using a panel of experts or a jury.

For teachers: to evaluate or select through the process of a jury, often used in the context of art exhibitions or academic competitions.

- Only the best paintings will be juried into the national exhibition.
- The student's portfolio was juried by a panel of senior faculty members before she was admitted to the advanced programme.

### 5. temporary repair

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

used to describe a temporary fix or repair made quickly in an emergency.

For teachers: describing a temporary or makeshift contrivance, particularly in a nautical context for emergency repairs.

- The sailors built a jury mast after the main one broke during the storm.
- 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.

Usage: Almost always used as an attributive adjective before the noun it modifies.

## Examples

- The jury found the defendant not guilty.
- After deliberating for three days, the jury finally reached a unanimous decision on all counts.
- Legal scholars often debate whether a jury of one's peers is truly capable of remains impartial when faced with highly technical forensic evidence and emotive testimony.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.