noun
jurisdiction
joor-rihs-DIHK-shuhn
noun
1
The official authority to make legal decisions and judgments over a particular area, group of people, or type of case.
"The case falls outside the court's jurisdiction."
"Local police have jurisdiction only within the city limits."
How to Use Jurisdiction
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe area or scope over which a court, government, or authority has legal power.
Common pairings
fall under jurisdiction
have jurisdiction over
outside its jurisdiction
Word Forms
jurisdictions plural
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The case falls outside the court's _____.
Etymology
From Latin iurisdictio, combining ius, "law," and dictio, "the saying/declaring" — literally, the power to declare the law.