jurisdiction

jurisdiction — noun

1. the formal power granted to a court, tribunal, or official body to hear disputes

1.nounB2
Definition

the formal power granted to a court, tribunal, or official body to hear disputes, hand down judgments, and administer justice within a defined scope.

Example

The family court has jurisdiction over custody disputes in this county.

has jurisdiction over [subject]

The judge ruled that the committee lacked jurisdiction to investigate the complaint.

lacked jurisdiction to [infinitive]

Common collocations
  • have jurisdiction
  • exercise jurisdiction
  • accept jurisdiction
  • lack jurisdiction
  • jurisdiction over
  • within the jurisdiction of
  • fall under the jurisdiction of
Synonyms
  • authority

    broader term; can apply to any official or institutional power, not just legal

  • competence

    formal legal term meaning a court's legal capacity to hear a matter; narrower in scope

  • purview

    the range or limit of a body's authority; slightly more abstract

  • remit

    British English; refers to the specific area a person or group is responsible for

Grammar Patterns

have/exercise/accept jurisdiction over [subject]

have jurisdiction to [infinitive]

fall within the jurisdiction of [court/body]

Usage Note

Frequently used with prepositions 'over' (the subject or matter) and 'to' (the action). The subject of 'jurisdiction' is typically a court, tribunal, or regulatory body, not an individual person.

Common Mistakes

The police have jurisdiction to stop cars on the highway.
The police have authority to stop cars on the highway.
'jurisdiction' refers to a legal body's official scope of decision-making, not to the everyday power of officers.
My manager has jurisdiction over the team.
My manager has authority over the team.
'jurisdiction' is reserved for legal, official, or governmental bodies, not workplace hierarchy.

2. a geographic area, region, or field of activity over which a particular court, g

2.nounB2
Definition

a geographic area, region, or field of activity over which a particular court, government, or organization has the right to make decisions and apply its own legal rules.

Example

The company pays different tax rates in each jurisdiction where it operates.

in each jurisdiction

Otis moved his business to a jurisdiction with fewer environmental restrictions.

a jurisdiction with [feature]

Common collocations
  • separate jurisdiction
  • foreign jurisdiction
  • local jurisdiction
  • different jurisdiction
  • within a jurisdiction
  • outside a jurisdiction
Synonyms
  • territory

    emphasizes the geographic aspect; less legal in tone

  • district

    a defined administrative or court area; more specific

  • realm

    a formal or literary term for a field of activity; less concrete

Grammar Patterns

in/within a jurisdiction

outside a jurisdiction

a/the jurisdiction where…

different/multiple jurisdictions

Usage Note

Countable in this sense — you can speak of 'a jurisdiction' or 'jurisdictions' (geographic-legal units). Commonly modified by adjectives such as 'local', 'federal', 'foreign', 'separate', or 'different'. Distinguish from sense 1, where jurisdiction is uncountable and refers to the power itself rather than the place where it applies.

Word family

  • jurisdictional
    adjectiveC1
  • jurisdictionally
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Authority' is the broadest term, covering any official or legitimate power — a manager has authority, but not jurisdiction. 'Jurisdiction' is specifically legal and institutional: it refers to the scope of a court or government body to decide matters. 'Competence' is a formal legal term used mainly in civil-law systems and international law to describe whether a court is legally qualified to hear a case. 'Purview' is more abstract and describes the range of matters a body or law deals with. 'Remit' is common in British English and refers to the specific task or area assigned to a person or committee. For example: 'The court lacks jurisdiction over this dispute' (legal power), but 'The matter falls outside the committee's remit' (assigned responsibility).

authority ↗competence ↗purviewremit

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • fall within the jurisdiction of
  • come under the jurisdiction of
  • exercise jurisdiction over
  • subject to the jurisdiction of

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

From Latin 'iurisdictio' (also spelled 'jurisdictio'), a combination of 'ius' (law, right) and 'dictio' (a saying, a declaration). In Roman law it meant the authority to declare or interpret the law. The word entered English in the 14th century through Old French 'juridiction', originally referring to the power of a court to administer justice.