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: a jury of 12 persons impaneled to try and to decide finally upon the facts at issue in causes for trial in a court
Examples of petit jury in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Farris spoke with Variety to share her process behind selecting television’s favorite petit jury.
—Sophia Scorziello, Variety, 4 May 2023
Grand juries decide if there's enough evidence to charge someone with a crime, while a petit jury decides a verdict at the end of a trial by determining if a person should be convicted of a crime.
—Tessa Duvall, The Courier-Journal, 23 Sep. 2020
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Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of petit jury was
in the 15th century
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Cite this Entry
“Petit jury.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petit%20jury. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
petit jury
noun
pet·it jury
ˈpet-ē-
: a jury of 12 persons for a trial in court
Legal Definition
petit jury
noun
: a jury of twelve persons that is impaneled to try and to decide the facts at issue in a trial compare grand jury
More from Merriam-Webster on petit jury
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about petit jury
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