jury's out

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrasefigurative

   Used to say that a decision or answer about something has not been made yet.

   Grammar: Used as a complete statement, often after 'the': The jury is still out on that.

   Patterns

   • the jury is out on something
   • the jury is still out

   The jury is still out on whether the new law will reduce crime.

   Experts say the jury's out on the long-term effects of the drug.

   The jury is out on which candidate will win the nomination.

2. 2phrasefixed phraselegal

   Used literally when a jury has left the courtroom to decide a verdict.

   Grammar: In legal contexts it describes the actual moment when the jury is deliberating.

   Patterns

   • the jury is out

   The jury is out, so we expect a verdict later today.

   After three hours, the jury is still out.

Common combinations

the jury is still out

The jury is still out on the cause of the accident.

the jury is out on something

The jury is out on whether the treatment works.

the jury's out

The jury's out on that question for now.

Synonyms and how they differ

undecided

This adjective describes a person or issue that has not yet made a decision; 'the jury is out' is a fixed phrase meaning the decision is still pending.

unsettled

This means not yet resolved, often for disputes or questions; it is more formal and less idiomatic than 'the jury is out'.

Opposites

Commonly confused: jury's out or jury?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “jury's out”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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