jury

jury — noun

1. twelve citizens who swear an oath to examine the evidence presented at a court h

1.nounB1
Definition

twelve citizens who swear an oath to examine the evidence presented at a court hearing, then reach a verdict about the accused person's guilt or the soundness of a legal argument

Example

The jury found the defendant guilty after examining all the evidence for two weeks.

passive: found guilty by jury

Jiwoo served on a jury for six weeks, hearing testimony about a property dispute between two neighbours.

collocation: serve on a jury

Common collocations
  • serve on a jury
  • the jury finds/decides/rules
  • jury deliberation
  • jury duty
  • trial by jury
Synonyms
  • panel

    more general term for any group of people selected for a task; less formal and not limited to courts

  • tribunal

    formal; often refers to a body with authority to judge disputes outside regular courts

Grammar Patterns

the jury + verb (singular or plural)

serve on a jury

the jury finds/decides/rules that…

Usage Note

In British English a jury can take a singular or plural verb (the jury has / the jury have). In American English a singular verb is standard. The jury decides guilt; the judge determines the sentence.

Common Mistakes

The judge found him guilty.
The jury found him guilty.
The jury decides guilt or innocence; the judge oversees the trial and decides the punishment.
The jury was divided in their opinion.
The jurors were divided in their opinion.
When referring to individuals, use 'jurors' or rephrase.

2. a panel of people appointed to evaluate contestants or entries and decide who wi

2.nounB1
Definition

a panel of people appointed to evaluate contestants or entries and decide who wins a competition, contest, or prize

Example

The jury awarded first prize to a young dancer from Seoul for her original choreography.

jury + award/give prize

Kemi sat on the jury for a national short-story competition, reading over two hundred entries.

collocation: sit on a jury

Common collocations
  • sit on a jury
  • jury selects/choses/awards
  • competition jury
  • jury member
Synonyms
  • panel of judges

    more transparent and common in entertainment contexts like talent shows

  • adjudicators

    formal; emphasizes the evaluative role

Grammar Patterns

jury + verb (selects/awards/gives)

sit on a jury

Usage Note

Use 'panel' or 'judges' in less formal contexts. 'Jury' for competitions carries a slightly formal tone, similar to the legal sense.

3. any person or group of people whose opinion determines whether something is good

3.nounB2
Definition

any person or group of people whose opinion determines whether something is good, successful, or acceptable — for example, the public deciding if a film is a success, or customers deciding if a product is worth buying

Example

The jury is still out on whether the new vaccine provides long-term protection.

idiom: the jury is (still) out on

The public acts as the ultimate jury for any new restaurant in this neighbourhood.

figurative: public as jury

Common collocations
  • the jury is (still) out on
  • act as the jury
  • ultimate jury
Synonyms
  • arbiter

    formal; a person or body with authority to settle a dispute

  • deciding factor

    emphasizes the criterion rather than the group doing the judging

Grammar Patterns

the jury is (still) out on something

Usage Note

This sense is almost always figurative. The idiom 'the jury is (still) out on something' means that a decision has not yet been reached and people still disagree about something.

Idioms

the jury is (still) out on something

idiom

used to say that something is not yet decided or known, and people have different opinions about it

The jury is still out on whether remote work improves productivity in the long run.

Experts are divided, so the jury is out on the best treatment for that rare condition.

jury — verb

jury — adjective

Word family

  • juror
    nounB1
  • jurist
    nounC1
  • jurisprudence
    nounC2
  • jury-rigged
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe a group that makes a decision, but they differ in context and formality. A 'jury' specifically refers to a sworn body that decides guilt or innocence in a court of law, or by extension, a group that judges a competition. A 'panel' is a more general term for any small group of people appointed for a task — you might have a panel of experts discussing a topic on television, or a panel of judges in a talent show. A 'tribunal' is a formal body established to settle disputes outside the regular court system, such as an employment tribunal or an international war crimes tribunal. In legal contexts: 'The jury delivered a verdict of not guilty' vs 'The tribunal ruled that the company had broken the law.' In non-legal contexts: use 'panel' for committees, 'jury' for competitions, and 'tribunal' for official investigative bodies.

jury ↗panel ↗tribunal ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • jury duty
  • jury service
  • jury box
  • jury room
  • jury selection
  • jury verdict
  • jury member

Phrases

  • trial by jury
  • right to a jury
  • the jury is in/out
  • serve on a jury

Prepositions

  • jury of (experts/peers)
  • jury at (a trial/competition)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchAnglo-Norman FrenchEnglish

The word 'jury' entered English through Anglo-Norman French in the 14th century, from the Old French 'jurée' meaning 'an oath' or 'a sworn inquiry.' This comes from the Latin verb 'iurare' meaning 'to swear' or 'to take an oath,' which itself derives from 'ius' meaning 'law' or 'right.' The core idea — a group of people who swear to give a truthful verdict — has been present since the earliest records of the word.