Meanings
plural petit juries
- lawA regular trial jury, assembled to determine criminal or civil liability.
Though far smaller than Greek juries (some five hundred jurors had sat in judgment of Socrates), American grand juries, criminal petit juries, and civil juries would enable ordinary Americans to participate directly and daily in American government.
2006, Akhil Reed Amar, America's Constitution: A BiographySynonyms: petty jury
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA regular trial jury, assembled to determine criminal or civil liability.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna jury of 12 to determine the facts and decide the issue in civil or criminal proceedings
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Anglo-Norman[Term?]
- Middle Englishpetite jury
- Englishpetit jury
From Middle English petite jury, petit jury, from Anglo-Norman [Term?].
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Polish mała ława przysięgłych
- mała ława przysięgłychregular trial jury, assembled to determine criminal or civil liability
Spanish jurado de juicio
- jurado de juicioregular trial jury, assembled to determine criminal or civil liability
Cite this entry
petit jury. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/petit%20jury
“petit jury.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/petit%20jury. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “petit jury,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/petit%20jury.
Source: petit jury on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.