Jure
/dʒʊər/noun
A legal term meaning by right or according to law, as in phrases like in jure or ex jure.
Did you know?Jure comes from Latin *iūs* (“law, right”), the same root behind *jury*, *juror*, and *jurisdiction*—words that literally grew out of the idea of sworn legal power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*yewes-
“A root associated with law, custom, or sacred right.”
Latin
Latin
iūs
“Law, right, or what is legally due.”
Late Latin
Latin
iūre
“By law; in right; legally.”
Middle English
English
jure
“A learned legal and Latin-form phrase used in legal contexts.”
Modern English
English
jure
“Used in fixed legal phrases meaning by law or by right.”
Explore more surprising origins