jurisdiction

/ˌdʒʊərɪsˈdɪkʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdʒʊrɪsˈdɪkʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌju̇r-əs-ˈdik-shən/ (ame, mw)

jurisdiction — noun

  • jurisdictionsingular
  • jurisdictionsplural

1. the formal power granted to a court, tribunal, or official body to hear disputes

1.名詞B2
釋義

the formal power granted to a court, tribunal, or official body to hear disputes, hand down judgments, and administer justice within a defined scope.

例句

The family court has jurisdiction over custody disputes in this county.

has jurisdiction over [subject]

The judge ruled that the committee lacked jurisdiction to investigate the complaint.

lacked jurisdiction to [infinitive]

同義詞
  • authority

    broader term; can apply to any official or institutional power, not just legal

  • competence

    formal legal term meaning a court's legal capacity to hear a matter; narrower in scope

  • purview

    the range or limit of a body's authority; slightly more abstract

  • remit

    British English; refers to the specific area a person or group is responsible for

文法句型

have/exercise/accept jurisdiction over [subject]

have jurisdiction to [infinitive]

fall within the jurisdiction of [court/body]

用法筆記

Frequently used with prepositions 'over' (the subject or matter) and 'to' (the action). The subject of 'jurisdiction' is typically a court, tribunal, or regulatory body, not an individual person.

常見錯誤

❌The police have jurisdiction to stop cars on the highway.
✅The police have authority to stop cars on the highway.
💡'jurisdiction' refers to a legal body's official scope of decision-making, not to the everyday power of officers.
❌My manager has jurisdiction over the team.
✅My manager has authority over the team.
💡'jurisdiction' is reserved for legal, official, or governmental bodies, not workplace hierarchy.

2. a geographic area, region, or field of activity over which a particular court, g

2.名詞B2
釋義

a geographic area, region, or field of activity over which a particular court, government, or organization has the right to make decisions and apply its own legal rules.

例句

The company pays different tax rates in each jurisdiction where it operates.

in each jurisdiction

Otis moved his business to a jurisdiction with fewer environmental restrictions.

a jurisdiction with [feature]

同義詞
  • territory

    emphasizes the geographic aspect; less legal in tone

  • district

    a defined administrative or court area; more specific

  • realm

    a formal or literary term for a field of activity; less concrete

文法句型

in/within a jurisdiction

outside a jurisdiction

a/the jurisdiction where…

different/multiple jurisdictions

用法筆記

Countable in this sense — you can speak of 'a jurisdiction' or 'jurisdictions' (geographic-legal units). Commonly modified by adjectives such as 'local', 'federal', 'foreign', 'separate', or 'different'. Distinguish from sense 1, where jurisdiction is uncountable and refers to the power itself rather than the place where it applies.