: 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.
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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
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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'petit jury.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 19 Apr. 2024.
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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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