WORD OF THE DAY
Jurisdiction means having a legal right over something. A court can have jurisdiction over a legal question, and a government can have jurisdiction over another country or territory. Even your parents could be said to have jurisdiction over you while you're under 18.
This noun jurisdiction descends from Latin jūrisdictiō, formed from jūris (from jūs "law") plus dictio, "the act of saying." Think of it as who has the right to "say" what "the law" is. In the U.S., certain crimes are tried in state courts, but when a crime involves more than one state, jurisdiction moves to the federal court system, just as the local police step down and the investigation is handled by the FBI.
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Vocabulary lists containing jurisdiction
The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776 by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, with a preamble by John Adams and editing by Benjamin Franklin and other members of Congress, it outlines the offenses of King George III to justify the vote for independence that had taken place two days earlier. With the colonies already one year into a war, the Declaration closed the door on reconciliation with Great Britain and paved the way for the creation of the United States of America. Read the full text here.
Practice these words that contain the Latin roots jud, jur, and jus, meaning "law" or "justice."
Practice this list of English words derived from the Latin roots dic and dict, which mean "say" or "declare."
The 13th Amendment was ratified on December 6, 1865. It abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. Read the full text here.
Considered a seminal work of African-American literature, Their Eyes Were Watching God is notable for its strong and independent female protagonist.
