jeopardy

noun

jeop·​ar·​dy ˈje-pər-dē 

1

: exposure to or imminence of loss or injury : danger

placing their lives in jeopardy

workers in jeopardy of losing their jobs

2

law : the danger that an accused person is subjected to when on trial for a criminal offense

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Did you know?

We'll start with the answer and you provide the question: A word meaning "danger" that inspired the title of a popular game show. Got it? If you buzzed in "what is jeopardy?" you are correct! Today’s word dates back to at least the 1300s, but its Middle English form can make it hard to spot: it appears in the phrase "in jupartie" with a meaning very much akin to the word's meaning in the modern phrase "in jeopardy"—that is, "in danger." The spellings of what we now render only as jeopardy were formerly myriad. The Oxford English Dictionary reports that between the late 14th and mid-17th centuries the word was spelled in a great variety of ways, among them ieupardyes (the spelling Chaucer used in The Canterbury Tales), iupertie, iupartye, ieoperdis, and juperti. Indeed, like the eponymous quiz show Jeopardy!, today’s word has a long history; we’d wager it has a long future, too.

Synonyms

• danger
• distress
• endangerment
• harm's way
• imperilment
• peril
• risk
• trouble

Examples of jeopardy in a Sentence

the city's firefighters routinely put their lives in jeopardy by executing daring rescues

Recent Examples on the Web

And the Trump administration’s freeze on U.S. foreign aid and gutting of USAID puts in jeopardy humanitarian and development programming across the country, including funding for the UNHCR, precisely at a moment in which millions of Syrians continue to depend on humanitarian aid. —Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025

Sirianni’s job was in serious jeopardy after last year’s late season collapse and embarrassing 32-9 playoff loss at Tampa. —Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 1 Feb. 2025

Last week, however, the possibility of striking a long-term deal with Tucker suddenly appeared in serious jeopardy when the Cubs and the player deadlocked over $2.5 million in salary, failing to reach an agreement on a one-year deal that would avert a potentially painful arbitration hearing. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025

Forest, as Slot pointed out on Monday, have no interest in inviting such jeopardy. —Oliver Kay, The Athletic, 13 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English jeopardie, from Anglo-French juparti, jeuparti alternative, literally, divided game

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing jeopardy

• double jeopardy
• in jeopardy

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Kids Definition

jeopardy

noun

jeop·​ar·​dy ˈjep-ərd-ē 

: danger sense 1

Legal Definition

jeopardy

noun

jeop·​ar·​dy ˈje-pər-dē 

1

: exposure to or imminence of death, loss, or injury

2

: the danger of conviction that an accused person is subjected to when on trial for a criminal offense see also double jeopardy

Note: Jeopardy attaches, or comes into effect for double jeopardy purposes, when a jury is sworn in or, in a non-jury trial, when the judge begins to hear evidence. The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution forbids double jeopardy for the same offense, and this applies whether the first trial ends in acquittal, conviction, or a mistrial. If a mistrial occurs due to a manifest necessity or if a defendant appeals a conviction, however, the rule against double jeopardy does not apply. The issue of manifest necessity is determined by the trial judge and, if necessary, by an appeals court.