jeopardy

jeop-ard-y · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    Danger of loss, harm, or failure; risk or peril.

  2. 2.

    (law) The risk of conviction and punishment that a defendant faces in a criminal trial.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    in jeopardy — at risk; in danger
  • •
    put in jeopardy — to endanger something
  • •
    double jeopardy — the legal principle preventing a person from being tried twice for the same crime

Related words

Antonyms: protection, safety, security
See also: danger, jeopardize, peril, risk
Synonyms: danger, hazard, peril, risk

Etymology

From Old French jeu parti ("a divided game," meaning a game in which the chances are even, hence an uncertain situation), from jeu ("game") + parti ("divided"). First recorded in English in the 14th century.