jeopardy
noun
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Did you know?
We'll start with the answer and you provide the question: A word meaning "danger" that inspired the title of a popular game show. Got it? If you buzzed in "what is jeopardy?" you are correct! Today’s word dates back to at least the 1300s, but its Middle English form can make it hard to spot: it appears in the phrase "in jupartie" with a meaning very much akin to the word's meaning in the modern phrase "in jeopardy"—that is, "in danger." The spellings of what we now render only as jeopardy were formerly myriad. The Oxford English Dictionary reports that between the late 14th and mid-17th centuries the word was spelled in a great variety of ways, among them ieupardyes (the spelling Chaucer used in The Canterbury Tales), iupertie, iupartye, ieoperdis, and juperti. Indeed, like the eponymous quiz show Jeopardy!, today’s word has a long history; we’d wager it has a long future, too.
Synonyms
Examples of jeopardy in a Sentence
L'oreal Thompson Payton, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2024
But when critically celebrated English thespian William MacCready (Coogan) arrives from London to perform his sophisticated Hamlet, Edwin’s title is thrown into jeopardy.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2024
Hiring unlicensed persons to provide mental health for our students in our schools places not only the district in legal jeopardy but also places our students at risk for improper practices.
—Madeleine Parrish, The Arizona Republic, 8 Oct. 2024
But in Texas, that would have put them in legal jeopardy.
—Stefan Becket, CBS News, 2 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Jeopardy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jeopardy. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
jeopardy
noun
Legal Definition
jeopardy
noun
Note: Jeopardy attaches, or comes into effect for double jeopardy purposes, when a jury is sworn in or, in a non-jury trial, when the judge begins to hear evidence. The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution forbids double jeopardy for the same offense, and this applies whether the first trial ends in acquittal, conviction, or a mistrial. If a mistrial occurs due to a manifest necessity or if a defendant appeals a conviction, however, the rule against double jeopardy does not apply. The issue of manifest necessity is determined by the trial judge and, if necessary, by an appeals court.
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