jurisprudence

noun

ju·​ris·​pru·​dence ˌju̇r-əs-ˈprü-dᵊn(t)s How to pronounce jurisprudence (audio)
1
: the science or philosophy of law
they have no theories of jurisprudence but … decide each case on its factsR. H. Bork
2
a
: a system or body of law
Roman jurisprudence
labor jurisprudence
b
: the course of court decisions as distinguished from legislation and doctrine
a tendency that has become apparent in the jurisprudence of the American courtsBernard Schwartz
3
: a department of law
medical jurisprudence
jurisprudential adjective
jurisprudentially adverb

Did you know?

"For a farewell to our jurisprudent, I wish unto him the gladsome light of jurisprudence…." With this valedictory to English jurist Sir Thomas Littleton, another jurist, Sir Edward Coke, welcomed two new words into English. In 1628, his jurisprudence meant "knowledge of or skill in law," a now archaic sense that reflects the meaning of the word's root. Jurisprudence goes back to Latin prudentia juris (literally "skill in law"), from which was derived the Late Latin formation jurisprudentia, and subsequently the English word. The noun jurisprudent means "one skilled in law"—in other words, a jurist. There's also jurisprude, a somewhat rare 20th-century back-formation created from jurisprudence with influence from prude. It means "one who makes ostentatious show of jurisprudential learning."

Examples of jurisprudence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the end, the prosecution got them all — son, mother and father — the three key figures in a 2021 mass school shooting that cost four students their lives, heightened awareness about parental responsibility and proper gun storage, and made history in the world of American jurisprudence. Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 15 Mar. 2024 Both are superb looks at the justice system, as well as issues of jurisprudence, witness credibility, and how misogyny and bias can shape the outcome of a case. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024 The ruling shook American jurisprudence around firearms to the core. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 But these Trump critics ignore the broader themes in the Court’s recent jurisprudence. Robert J. Delahunty, National Review, 14 Feb. 2024 The felony-murder rule has a place in criminal jurisprudence: armed participants in, say, a bank robbery typically understand that a death may ensue from their actions. The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2024 Fortunately, there exist two concepts that share the same ideals and that allow advancement on the road outlined by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of love, compassion, justice for all: Earth jurisprudence and veganism. Journal Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2024 In the near term, Mehta foresees further erosion of the court’s independence and forms of jurisprudence ever more closely aligned with Hindu nationalism. Vaibhav Vats, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2024 For the trans and nonbinary community, this includes the languages of medical science, psychiatric discourse and legal jurisprudence around their rights and bodies. Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jurisprudence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see jurisprudent

First Known Use

1654, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of jurisprudence was in 1654

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Dictionary Entries Near jurisprudence

Cite this Entry

“Jurisprudence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jurisprudence. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

jurisprudence

noun
ju·​ris·​pru·​dence ˌju̇r-ə-ˈsprüd-ᵊn(t)s How to pronounce jurisprudence (audio)
1
: a system of laws
2
: the science of law
3
: a department of law
medical jurisprudence

Legal Definition

jurisprudence

noun
ju·​ris·​pru·​dence ˌju̇r-əs-ˈprüd-ᵊns How to pronounce jurisprudence (audio)
1
a
: a system or body of law
in the federal jurisprudence
especially : a body of law dealing with a specific issue or area
labor jurisprudence
b
: the course of court decisions as distinguished from legislation and doctrine
the jurisprudence decided under the source provisionsLouisiana Civil Code
2
: the science or philosophy of law
they have no theories of jurisprudence but…decide each case on its factsR. H. Bork
jurisprudential adjective
Etymology

Late Latin jurisprudentia knowledge of or skill in law, from Latin juris, genitive of jus right, law + prudentia wisdom, proficiency

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