jury
gb/d͡ʒˈʊɹi/ us/d͡ʒˈʊɹi/
B2
English
~ 6000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
group deciding a court case
A group of normal people in a court who listen to a case and decide if a person is guilty or not guilty, or how much money should be paid.
Usage pattern:
a jury of [people]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'jury' with 'judge'. The 'judge' is one person, a legal professional who leads the trial, while the 'jury' is a group of normal citizens who decide the facts and give a verdict. Another mistake is to say 'do a jury'; the correct verbs are 'serve on a jury' or 'be on a jury'.
Synonyms
panel (More general; any small group deciding something, not only in courts.)
|
jurors (Refers to the individual members; often used collectively like 'the jurors filed out'.)
Antonyms
judge (The legal professional who controls the trial and gives legal directions, not a group of citizens.)
Collocations
serve on a jury
|jury duty
|jury trial
|grand jury
|hung jury
|the jury is out
Themes
law
|government
|society
|politics
Examples
- The jury found the defendant not guilty after only three hours of discussion.
- She was excused from jury duty because she was caring for a sick parent.
- The judge reminded the jury that they must base their decision only on the evidence.
- After the closing arguments, the jury retired to consider its verdict.
- In the United States, serious criminal cases are usually decided by a jury.
Learner examples
- The jury decided that the man was not guilty.
- She does not want to serve on a jury.
- The judge spoke to the jury before they left the room.
- A jury listens to the lawyers and then makes a decision.
- Twelve people sat on the jury in his trial.
Noun
B2
entity
2
panel judging a contest
A group of people who look at work in a contest and choose the winners.
Usage pattern:
a jury of [experts]
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'jury' is only used for courts. It is also common for competitions and prizes. In this meaning, 'jury' is similar to 'panel of judges', and you should not confuse it with 'audience', which only watches or listens.
Synonyms
panel of judges (Very close in meaning; slightly more explicit and common in everyday speech.)
|
committee (A broader term; may do many tasks, not just judging contests.)
Collocations
international jury
|jury of experts
|jury member
|jury chair
|film festival jury
|the jury awarded
Themes
entertainment
|arts
|sports
|arts_entertainment
|education
Examples
- An international jury selected the winning photographs from over 5,000 entries.
- The jury praised her performance but gave the prize to another dancer.
- He served on the jury for the national architecture awards.
- The jury of experts could not reach agreement on the best design.
- The film was well received by the jury but not by audiences.
Learner examples
- A jury chose the best short story.
- The jury gave the first prize to a young artist.
- She was the only woman on the jury.
- The jury watched all the films before they made a choice.
- A jury of chefs tasted every dish in the contest.
adjective
technical
C1
property
3
temporary replacement structure
Describes something used as a temporary part or structure until a real or better one is ready.
Usage pattern:
a jury [noun]
Common mistake:
This adjective is mostly used in technical or nautical contexts and in set phrases like 'jury mast'. Learners often see 'jury-rigged' instead, which is now much more common in everyday English.
Synonyms
temporary (General word; does not always suggest a rough or improvised replacement.)
|
makeshift (Very close; also suggests something quickly built from what is available.)
Antonyms
permanent (Describes something intended to last and not be replaced.)
Collocations
jury mast
|jury rudder
|jury steering
|jury-rigged mast
|jury-rigged solution
Themes
engineering
|transport
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|transportation
Examples
- After the storm broke the main mast, the crew built a jury mast from spare timbers.
- The damaged ship continued under a jury rudder until it reached port.
- They installed a jury steering system so the vessel could limp home safely.
Learner examples
- The sailors put up a jury mast when the real mast broke.
- The ship used a jury rudder until it arrived at the harbor.
- They made a jury steering system with simple parts.
Grammar
Dictionary form
jury
IPA
GB/d͡ʒˈʊɹi/
US/d͡ʒˈʊɹi/
Syllables & stress
jury (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (jury)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: jury
- Plural: juries
Word family
Expressions
a jury of your peers
1/ə d͡ʒˈʊɹi əv jˈʊɹ pˈɪɹz/
fixed phrase
formal
jury of similar-status people
A group of people like you in social level or background who decide your case in court.
Examples
- The constitution guarantees the right to be tried by a jury of your peers.
- He argued that the panel did not represent a true jury of his peers.
grand jury
1/ɡɹˈænd d͡ʒˈʊɹi/
fixed phrase
technical
jury deciding on charges
In some legal systems, a group of people who decide if a person should be formally charged with a serious crime.
Examples
- The grand jury decided there was not enough evidence to indict the officer.
- The case is now being reviewed by a federal grand jury.
jury box
1/d͡ʒˈʊɹi bˈɑks/
fixed phrase
seating area for the jury
The part of a courtroom where the members of the jury sit together.
Examples
- The jurors filed quietly into the jury box.
- From the jury box, they could see both the witness and the defendant clearly.
jury duty
1/d͡ʒˈʊɹi dˈuti/
fixed phrase
legal duty to serve on a jury
The legal job that some people must do when the court asks them to be in a jury.
Examples
- I have to miss work next week because I was called for jury duty.
- She tried to postpone her jury duty until after her exams.
jury service
1/d͡ʒˈʊɹi sˈɚvɪs/
fixed phrase
time spent serving on a jury
The time when you work as a member of a jury in court.
Examples
- Employees are given paid leave when they are called for jury service.
- He completed his jury service last month and found it very interesting.
jury-rigged
1/d͡ʒˈʊɹi ɹˈɪɡd/
fixed phrase
informal
roughly improvised or makeshift
Made or repaired in a quick, simple way with things you have, not in a professional or proper way.
Examples
- We drove home with a jury-rigged exhaust pipe held up by wire.
- The team used a jury-rigged cooling system to keep the old computer running.
serve on a jury
1/sˈɚv ˈɔn ə d͡ʒˈʊɹi/
fixed phrase
work as a member of a jury
To be one of the people in a jury and help make the decision in a court case.
Examples
- Every citizen may be asked to serve on a jury at some point.
- She has served on a jury three times in the last ten years.
sit on a jury
1/sˈɪt ˈɔn ə d͡ʒˈʊɹi/
fixed phrase
be a member of a jury
To be one of the people in a jury and take part in its decision.
Examples
- Have you ever sat on a jury in a criminal trial?
- He was nervous about sitting on a jury for such a serious case.
the jury is out (on [something])
1/ðə d͡ʒˈʊɹi ˈɪz ˈaʊt ˈɔn sˈʌmθɪŋ/
idiom
no decision has been reached yet
People have not decided yet if something is good, true, or will happen.
Examples
- The jury is still out on whether the new policy will actually reduce costs.
- The jury is out on this drug; we need more data before we can say it is safe.
trial by jury
1/tɹˈaɪl bˈaɪ d͡ʒˈʊɹi/
fixed phrase
formal
legal trial with a jury
A court case where normal people in a jury, not only a judge, decide if someone is guilty or not.
Examples
- The right to trial by jury is an important part of the legal system.
- In some civil cases, either side can request a trial by jury.
hung jury
1/hˈʌŋ d͡ʒˈʊɹi/
fixed phrase
jury unable to reach verdict
A group of people in a trial (the jury) that cannot agree on a decision, so there is no verdict.
Examples
- The judge declared a mistrial because of a hung jury.
- After three days of discussion, the case ended in a hung jury.
- A hung jury means the trial may have to be repeated with new jurors.
hung jury
2/hˈʌŋ d͡ʒˈʊɹi/
fixed phrase
technical
jury that cannot agree on verdict
A jury that cannot all agree on one decision, so they cannot give a verdict.
Examples
- The judge declared a mistrial after the second hung jury.
- The first trial ended in a hung jury, so the case will be tried again.