jeopardy
noun
Word Icons
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
Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 29 Jan. 2025
Legal experts, government officials and others across the country were warning Tuesday that the memo could put in jeopardy everything from early childhood education and food assistance programs to efforts to clear land mines in war zones.
—Nicholas Kusnetz, WIRED, 29 Jan. 2025
This also means there is no way of checking everything’s working until the very first point, which creates another layer of jeopardy.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
The company's market posture has also been under jeopardy as rivals like Airbus use Boeing's failures to seize more market share.
—Jim Osman, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for jeopardy 
Articles Related to jeopardy
Dictionary Entries Near jeopardy
Cite this Entry
“Jeopardy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jeopardy. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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.
Share