Jeopardy Definition

jĕpər-dē
jeopardies
noun
jeopardies
Great danger; peril.
To have one's life in jeopardy.
Webster's New World
Exposure to conviction and punishment; situation of an accused person on trial for a crime.
Webster's New World
A defendant’s risk of punishment.
Webster's New World Law
Antonyms:
pronoun

Jeopardy!, a popular US television game show in which contestants answer clues by responding in the form of a question, hosted originally by Art Fleming and most notably by Alex Trebek.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Jeopardy

Noun

Singular:
jeopardy
Plural:
jeopardies

Origin of Jeopardy

  • Middle English juperti from Old French jeu parti even game, uncertainty jeu game (from Latin iocus joke, game yek- in Indo-European roots) parti past participle of partir to divide (from Latin partīre) (from pars part- part part)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Middle English jepardie, from Old French jeu parti (“a divided game, i.e. an even game, an even chance”), from Medieval Latin iocus partītus (“an even chance, an alternative”), from Latin iocus (“jest, play, game”) + partītus, perfect passive participle of partiō (“divide”); see joke and party.

    From Wiktionary

  • Coined when Ed Vane, a skeptical producer, rejected an earlier concept of the show, claiming “it doesn’t have enough jeopardies”, according to creator Merv Griffin.

    From Wiktionary