grand jury

noun

: a jury that examines accusations against persons charged with crime and if the evidence warrants makes formal charges (as by indictment)
grand juror noun

Examples of grand jury in a Sentence

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As of Thursday, 24 of the defendants had been cleared, either through a grand jury refusing to indict, the dismissal of charges by prosecutors, or, in the one case that went to trial, a not guilty verdict by a jury. — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026 The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on July 16 but remained under seal until LeVota’s initial court appearance on Thursday. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 6 Aug. 2026 On May 22, a grand jury in New Haven returned a second superseding indictment charging Louis, Davis and Williams with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2026 The grand jury indictment states that Shakur’s killing was the result of two overlapping, long-running feuds. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grand jury

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grand jury was in the 15th century

Rhymes for grand jury

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Browse Nearby Words

Grand Junction
grand jury
grandkid
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Cite this Entry

“Grand jury.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grand%20jury. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

grand jury

noun
: a jury that chiefly examines accusations of crime made against persons and if the evidence warrants makes formal charges on which the accused persons are later tried

Legal Definition

grand jury

noun
: a jury that examines accusations against persons charged with crime and if the evidence warrants makes formal charges on which the accused persons are later tried see also no bill and true bill at bill sense 3b, indictment compare petit jury, special grand jury

More from Merriam-Webster on grand jury

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about grand jury

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