jurisdiction

From Latin iūrisdictiō.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒʊɹɪsˈdɪkʃən/, /d͡ʒɝɪsˈdɪkʃən/ (IPA^(key): /d͡ʒʊɹɪz-/, /d͡ʒɝɪz-/)
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒʊəɹɪsˈdɪkʃən/, /d͡ʒɔːɹɪsˈdɪkʃən/ (IPA^(key): /d͡ʒʊəɹɪz-/, /d͡ʒɔːɹɪz-/)

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• Rhymes: -ɪkʃən
• Hyphenation: ju‧ris‧dic‧tion

jurisdiction (countable and uncountable, plural jurisdictions)

1. The power, right, or authority to interpret and apply the law.
2. The power or right to exercise authority.
3. The power or right to perform some action as part of applying the law.
   • 1951 April, “Notes and News: North Fife Line, Scotland”, in Railway Magazine, number 600, page 281:

     The Fife County Council, and other objectors, were successful in July [1950] in obtaining an interim interdict against this decision, but the Court of Session withdrew the interdict in January, and it was then stated that a civil court had no jurisdiction in the matter.

   • 2020 July 23, N. Rosenberg, “Nemish v. King, Walker and Union of National Employees (Public Service Alliance of Canada), 2020 FPSLREB 76”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), retrieved 21 September 2020:

     The Appeal Division of the Social Security Tribunal held that it was without jurisdiction to extend the statutorily established one-year time limit for a complainant to apply to rescind or amend a decision.

4. The authority of a sovereign power to govern or legislate.
   • c. 1620s, Elizabeth Cary [misattributed to Henry Cary], The History Of the most unfortunate Prince King Edward II. […] , London: A.G. and F. P., published 1680, page 12:

     Thus fell that glorious Minion of Edward the Second, who for a time appeared liked [sic.] a blazing Comet, and sway'd the jurisdiction of the state of England, and her Confederates.

5. The limits or territory within which authority may be exercised.
   • 2013 June 22, “T time”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 68:

     The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them […] is often assumed to be the preserve of high-tech companies. […] current tax rules make it easy for all sorts of firms to generate […] “stateless income”: profit subject to tax in a jurisdiction that is neither the location of the factors of production that generate the income nor where the parent firm is domiciled.

• (power or right to exercise authority): power
• (historical, UK): oyer and terminer, soc and sac

• control