Verdicts

/ˈvɜːrdɪkts/ noun

Definition

Official decisions or judgments made by a jury or judge in a court of law; also used for any final opinion or conclusion.

Etymology

From Old French verdit, from ver (true, green) + dit (said), literally 'truly said.' The term dates to the 13th century in English law. It originally meant what a jury 'truly said' about the facts, and it remains tied to legal proceedings.

Kelly Says

Medieval juries had to reach unanimous verdicts while locked up without food or water until they agreed—so some verdicts were reached in hours while others took days, leading to some literally starving people into agreement.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.