When comparing the words ‘jurist’ vs ‘juror,’ it’s easy to confuse the two because they are so similar.
The basic difference between these nouns is:
‘Jurist’ and ‘juror’ are related but different words to describe separate roles within legal matters. While you might assume that both of them refer to a person who serves on a jury, this isn’t the case.
A ‘juror’ is a person that serves on a jury. A ‘jurist,’ on the other hand, is a person that is an expert in the law. Specifically, the word describes an individual that is an authority when it comes to legal matters.
‘Jurist’ is a noun that refers to a person that is thoroughly knowledgeable regarding the law.
According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of ‘jurist’ is:
“One having a thorough knowledge of the law.”
This word is particularly used to describe a judge.
This word can also be used to refer to a lawyer or legal scholar whose skill is so well renowned that their arguments and writings are looked to as a source of law.
While this might seem a bit confusing, the reality is that a lawyer can be a jurist, and a jurist can be a lawyer, but that doesn’t mean that the words are always interchangeable.
Let’s take a look at some examples of using the word ‘jurist’ in a sentence.’
There are a number of words that have a similar meaning to the word ‘jurist.’ Some examples include:
The word ‘jurist’ dates back to the mid-fifteenth century to mean ‘one who practices law.’ It comes from the French word ‘juriste,’ which itself stems from the Medieval Latin word ‘iurista.’
‘Juror’ is a noun that refers to a person that is summoned to serve on a jury, is currently a member of a jury, or has taken an oath of allegiance.
The most common definition of the word ‘juror’ is ‘a member of a jury.’
A ‘jury’ is a group of people that have been sworn to deliver a verdict in a specific court case.
According to Merriam-Webster, there are two additional definitions of ‘juror’:
Now that we understand the meaning of the word ‘juror,’ let’s see some examples of how it can be used in a sentence.
There are a few words that have a similar meaning to the word ‘juror.’ Examples include:
The word ‘juror’ dates back to around 1300 with the meaning ‘one who serves on a jury.’ It comes from the Anglo-French word ‘jurour,’ which was used as early as the late 1200s.
Now that you have a clearer sense of the difference between ‘jurist’ and ‘juror,’ you can confidently use them in both spoken and written language.
For more in-depth explanations of the most common confusing words, be sure to check out the rest of our blog.
