Juris

Juris is a Latin term meaning "of law" or "legal." It is the genitive singular of ius, the Latin noun for law, and its primary function in Latin is to indicate a relationship to the law rather than to stand as an independent concept. In legal Latin, juris is frequently used as a connecting element in phrases that describe a matter related to law.

In legal terminology, juris appears in a variety of compounds and established terms. Examples include jurisconsultus (a jurist or legal adviser), jurisprudentia (jurisprudence), and jurisdictio or iurisdictio (jurisdiction). The English legal vocabulary has borrowed these stems to form terms such as jurisprudence, jurisdiction, and related expressions, preserving the sense of connection to the law conveyed by juris.

In modern usage, juris is not usually treated as a standalone concept. Rather, it serves as part of compound Latin terms within legal writing, education, and citation. When encountered in English, it typically signals a Latin origin or a formal legal term rather than a separate category of law.

Historically, juris reflects the central role of Latin in Roman law and in the civil law tradition, where Latin remains a common scholarly language. The continued use of juris-based terms in legal doctrine and academic discussion underscores the long-standing influence of Latin on legal theory and terminology.