voir dire

[ vwahr deer; French vwar deer ]

noun

, Law.

1. an oath administered to a proposed witness or juror by which they are sworn to speak the truth in an examination to ascertain their competence to serve.
2. the examination of a proposed witness or juror to ascertain their competence to serve.

voir dire

/ vwɑː ˈdɪə /

noun

1. the preliminary examination on oath of a proposed witness by the judge
2. the oath administered to such a witness

Word History and Origins

Origin of voir dire¹

First recorded in 1670–80; from Anglo-French, equivalent to Old French voir “true, truly” + dire “to say”

Word History and Origins

Origin of voir dire¹

C17: from Old French: to speak the truth

Example Sentences

So I began voir dire by introducing my four-foot-eleven client to the jury.

From The Daily Beast

Voir dire is the process whereby attorneys from both sides get to ask potential jurors questions.

From The Daily Beast

The woman was opaque, her simplest answers under voir dire examination sounding like quotations from a wholesome family magazine.

From Project Gutenberg