Jurisdiction

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: ju=ris=dic=tion

CIDE DICTIONARY

Jurisdiction, n. [L. jurisdictio; jus, juris, right, law + dictio a saying, speaking: cf. OF. jurisdiction, F. juridiction. See Just, a., and Diction.].

•  The legal power, right, or authority of a particular court to hear and determine causes, to try criminals, or to execute justice; judicial authority over a cause or class of causes; as, certain suits or actions, or the cognizance of certain crimes, are within the jurisdiction of a particular court, that is, within the limits of its authority or commission.  [1913 Webster]
•  The authority of a sovereign power to govern or legislate; the right of making or enforcing laws; the power or right of exercising authority.  [1913 Webster]

  "To live exempt
  From Heaven's high jurisdiction."  [1913 Webster]

  "You wrought to be a legate; by which power
  You maim'd the jurisdiction of all bishops."  [1913 Webster]
•  Sphere of authority; the limits within which any particular power may be exercised, or within which a government or a court has authority.  [1913 Webster]

  " Jurisdiction, in its most general sense, is the power to make, declare, or apply the law. When confined to the judiciary department, it is what we denominate the judicial power, the right of administering justice through the laws, by the means which the laws have provided for that purpose. Jurisdiction is limited to place or territory, to persons, or to particular subjects."  Duponceau.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Jurisdiction, n.
1 (often foll. by over, of) the administration of justice.
2 a legal or other authority. b the extent of this; the territory it extends over.

Derivative

jurisdictional adj.

Etymology

ME jurisdiccioun f. OF jurediction, juridiction, L jurisdictio f. jus juris law + dictio DICTION

THESAURUS

Jurisdiction

accountability, acme, actionability, administration, agency, agentship, ambit, applicability, area, arena, ascendancy, assignment, auspices, authority, authorization, bailiwick, be-all and end-all, beat, blue ribbon, border, borderland, bossing, bounds, brevet, care, championship, charge, circle, circuit, claws, clutches, command, commission, commissioning, commitment, compass, confines, consignment, constitutional validity, constitutionalism, constitutionality, control, cure, custodianship, custody, delegated authority, delegation, demesne, department, deputation, devolution, devolvement, directorship, disposition, district, domain, domination, dominion, due process, effectiveness, embassy, empery, empire, empowerment, entrusting, entrustment, errand, executorship, exequatur, eye, factorship, field, first place, first prize, full power, governance, government, grasp, grip, gripe, guardianship, guidance, hand, hands, headship, hegemony, height, helm, hemisphere, highest, hold, imperium, influence, intendance, iron hand, judicial circuit, justice, justiciability, keeping, kingship, lawfulness, leadership, legal form, legal process, legalism, legality, legation, legitimacy, legitimateness, license, licitness, lieutenancy, limits, lordship, management, mandate, march, mastership, mastery, maximum, might, ministry, mission, most, ne plus ultra, new high, office, orb, orbit, oversight, pale, palms, paramountcy, pastorage, pastorate, pastorship, patronage, plenipotentiary power, power, power of attorney, power to act, precinct, prerogative, presidency, primacy, procuration, protectorship, province, proxy, purview, raj, range, reach, realm, record, regency, regentship, regnancy, reign, reins of government, responsibility, rightfulness, round, rule, safe hands, say, scope, sovereignty, sphere, sphere of influence, stewardship, strings, superintendence, supervision, supremacy, surveillance, sway, talons, task, territory, top spot, trust, trusteeship, tutelage, validity, vicarious authority, walk, ward, wardenship, wardship, warrant, watch and ward, wing, zenith

ROGET THESAURUS

Jurisdiction

Authority

N authority, influence, patronage, power, preponderance, credit, prestige, prerogative, jurisdiction, right, direction, government, divine right, dynastic rights, authoritativeness, absoluteness, absolutism, despotism, jus nocendi, jus divinum, mastery, mastership, masterdom, dictation, control, hold, grasp, grip, gripe, reach, iron sway, fangs, clutches, talons, rod of empire, commission, deputy, permission, at the head, dominant, paramount, supreme, predominant, preponderant, in the ascendant, influential, arbitrary, compulsory, stringent, at one's command, in one's power, in one's grasp, under control, in the name of, by the authority of, de par le Roi, in virtue of, under the auspices of, in the hands of, at one's pleasure, by a dash if the pen, by a stroke of the pen, ex mero motu, ex cathedra, from the chair, the gray mare the better horse, every inch a king.

Jurisdiction

N jurisdiction, judicature, administration of justice, soc, executive, commission of the peace, magistracy, judge, tribunal, municipality, corporation, bailiwick, shrievalty, lord lieutenant, sheriff, shire reeve, shrieve, constable, selectman, police, police force, the fuzz, constabulary, bumbledom, gendarmerie, officer, bailiff, tipstaff, bum-bailiff, catchpoll, beadle, policeman, cop, police constable, police sergeant, sbirro, alguazil, gendarme, kavass, lictor, mace bearer, huissier, bedel, tithingman, press gang, exciseman, gauger, gager, customhouse officer, douanier, coroner, edile, aedile, portreeve, paritor, posse comitatus, bureau, cutcherry, department, secretariat, long arm of the law, extradition, executive, administrative, municipal, inquisitorial, causidical, judicatory, judiciary, judicial, juridical, coram judice.