jurisprudence

[ joor-is-prood-ns, joor-is-prood- ]
See synonyms for jurisprudence on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the science or philosophy of law.

  2. a body or system of laws.

  1. a department of law: medical jurisprudence.

  2. Civil Law. decisions of courts, especially of reviewing tribunals.

Origin of jurisprudence

1
First recorded in 1620–30; from Late Latin jūrisprūdentia, jūris prūdentia “knowledge of the law” and used in the emperor Justinian’s law codes, published between a.d. 529 and 534. See jus, prudence

Other words from jurisprudence

  • ju·ris·pru·den·tial [joor-is-proo-den-shuhl], /ˌdʒʊər ɪs pruˈdɛn ʃəl/, adjective
  • ju·ris·pru·den·tial·ly, adverb

Words Nearby jurisprudence

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use jurisprudence in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for jurisprudence

jurisprudence

/ (ˌdʒʊərɪsˈpruːdəns) /


noun
  1. the science or philosophy of law

  2. a system or body of law

  1. a branch of law: medical jurisprudence

Origin of jurisprudence

1
C17: from Latin jūris prūdentia; see jus, prudence

Derived forms of jurisprudence

  • jurisprudential (ˌdʒʊərɪspruːˈdɛnʃəl), adjective
  • jurisprudentially, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for jurisprudence

jurisprudence

[ (joor-is-proohd-ns) ]


The philosophy of law. Jurisprudence implies creating a body of law and methods for interpreting the law, studying the relationships between law and society, and predicting the effects of legal decisions. In the United States, lawmakers, attorneys, scholars, and courts all take an active role in guiding jurisprudence.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.