Voir-dire meaning

vwär dîr
voir-dires
See word origin
Frequency:
The formal examination of a prospective juror under oath to determine suitability for jury service or of a prospective witness under oath to determine competence to give testimony.
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To conduct a voir dire of.

Voir dired the witness.

verb
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The phase of a trial in which prospective jurors are examined and jurors are selected.
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Literally to see, to speak; hence, idiomatically, to speak the truth. The usual reference is to an examination by the attorneys and/or the court of prospective jurors to determine whether reasons exist that might disqualify them or cause their selection to be challenged, other than peremptorily. During a trial, a voir dire examination refers to one outside the hearing of the jury concerning some issue of fact or law that requires the court to rule.
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(law) The preliminary phase of a jury trial in which the jurors are examined and selected.
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(law) A preliminary hearing without a jury in order to determine whether the evidence meets the test for admissibility to go to a full hearing at a criminal trial, in the legal systems of England and Wales, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.
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Origin of voir-dire

  • Anglo-Norman to speak the truth Latin vērus true wērə-o- in Indo-European roots Latin dīcere to say deik- in Indo-European roots

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

  • From Anglo-Norman, literally “to speak the truth", from Old French voir (“true; truly") (from Latin vÄ“rus (“true")) + dire (“to say") (from Latin dÄ«cere (“to speak; to say")).

    From Wiktionary