Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

be judge and jury

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.36 in modern English

Syllables: be -judge and jury
IPA

36

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

2

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

As an authority, to have the power to make a decision affecting someone or an organisation by oneself.

Example Sentences

"The fear from operators that sit outside GBR [Great British Railways], chiefly freight and open access operators, is that GBR will be judge and jury in any future system and can simply decide to do what it wants."

Etymology

In most jurisdictions that practice jury trials, the defendant's guilt is determined by jury, while his or her sentence is determined by the trial judge. An authority that can exercise the powers of a jury and judge therefore lacks a balance of power.

Inflected Forms

is judge and jury (present, singular) being judge and jury (participle, present) was judge and jury (past) been judge and jury (participle, past)

Phrases

judge, jury and executioner

Frequently Paired Words

judge, jury and executioner

Questions

What does be judge and jury mean?: As an authority, to have the power to make a decision affecting someone or an organisation by oneself.
Where does be judge and jury come from?: In most jurisdictions that practice jury trials, the defendant's guilt is determined by jury, while his or her sentence is determined by the trial judge. An authority that can exercise the powers of a jury and judge therefore lacks a balance of power.

How to pronounce be judge and jury

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