jurisdiction
noun
Simple meaning
The right and power to interpret and apply the law.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
juuruhsdikshuhnSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
dʒʊɹəsˈdɪkʃən
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
law
The right and power to interpret and apply the law
“Courts having jurisdiction in this district.”
The power or right to exercise authority.
In law; the territory within which power can be exercised
The authority of a sovereign power to govern or legislate.
The limits or territory within which authority may be exercised.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The right and power to interpret and apply the law
Used this way, jurisdiction is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a legal use: the wording is institutional and carries a defined meaning in law rather than a loose everyday one.
“Courts having jurisdiction in this district.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Law/legal
- Government/politics
- Academic writing
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Natural pattern: jurisdiction in …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use jurisdiction
- “Courts having jurisdiction in this district.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: right and power to interpret and apply the law
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.