jeopardize
verb
Did you know?
Jeopardize Has a Controversial History
It may be hard to believe that jeopardize was once controversial, but in 1870 a grammarian called it "a foolish and intolerable word," a view shared by many 19th-century critics. The preferred word was jeopard, which first appeared in print in the 14th century. (The upstart jeopardize didn't arrive until the late 16th century.) In 1828, Noah Webster himself declared jeopardize to be "a modern word, used by respectable writers in America, but synonymous with jeopard, and therefore useless." Unfortunately for the champions of jeopard, jeopardize is now much more popular.
Examples of jeopardize in a Sentence
Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2025
In safety-critical systems, this ambiguity jeopardizes compliance and trust.
—John Ellis, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
The incident could have had serious repercussions and potentially jeopardized the entire Cup race.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
This shift could usher in a new phase in the economy where the precarity of the labor market compels Americans—especially younger Americans—to make short-term choices that jeopardize their long-term financial security.
—Daryl Fairweather, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jeopardize
Cite this Entry
“Jeopardize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jeopardize. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share