A wooden gavel resting on a solid block against a clean, colorful background.

jurisdicción

hoo-rees-deek-SYOHN

nounfB2

jurisdiction?the legal power to make decisions

Also:authority?official power to act,territory?the specific area where a rule applies

📝 In Action

Ese asunto no cae bajo mi jurisdicción.

That matter does not fall under my jurisdiction.

La policía local no tiene jurisdicción en la autopista.

The local police do not have authority on the highway.

Cada juez tiene su propia jurisdicción territorial.

Each judge has their own territorial area of authority.

Word Connections

Synonyms

competencia (remit/responsibility)
demarcación (boundary/district)
mando (command)

Antonyms

incapacidad (inability)

Common Collocations

bajo la jurisdicción de – under the jurisdiction of
jurisdicción penal – criminal jurisdiction
fuera de mi jurisdicción – outside of my authority

💡 Grammar Points

Gender Clue

Words ending in '-ción' are almost always feminine in Spanish. You should use 'la' or 'una' with this word.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Spelling the ending

Mistake: "jurisdiccion (without accent)"

Correction: jurisdicción (with accent on the 'o'). Words ending in '-ción' always need an accent mark on the 'o' because the stress is at the very end.

⭐ Usage Tips

When to use it

While it sounds very formal, you can use it jokingly with friends to say something isn't your problem, like: 'That's not in my jurisdiction!'

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: jurisdicción

Question 1 of 1

If a police officer says a crime is 'fuera de su jurisdicción', what do they mean?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

jurídico(legal) - adjective

juez(judge) - noun

juzgar(to judge) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'jurisdicción' only used in courtrooms?

No, while it is a legal term, it can be used to describe any situation where someone has the power or responsibility to make decisions over a specific area or topic.

Does the plural form have an accent?

No! In the plural 'jurisdicciones', the accent mark is dropped because the stress naturally stays on the 'o' syllable without needing the mark.