What does empaneled mean?
Empaneled is the past tense and past participle of "empanel," a formal legal term meaning to select, enroll, and swear in a person or group — most commonly a jury — for official duty in a court of law. When a judge says a jury has been empaneled, it signals that the sometimes lengthy process of questioning prospective jurors (voir dire) is complete and that trial proceedings can begin. The word can also refer more broadly to having one's name placed on an official list for public service. Empaneled belongs firmly to formal and legal registers; you will encounter it in courtroom reporting, statutes, and legal scholarship far more often than in everyday conversation. It carries connotations of solemnity, procedure, and civic obligation, reflecting the gravity of jury duty in democratic legal systems. A related spelling variant, impaneled, is equally acceptable and somewhat more common in British English.
verbPast tense and past participle of "empanel" (also spelled impanel): to enroll or select a person or group, especially to serve on a jury.
- To formally select and swear in a group of people (especially jurors) for duty in a court of law.
- (Less common) To place a name on an official list or register, particularly for public service.
"The judge empaneled twelve jurors before opening arguments began."
"After three days of voir dire, the court finally empaneled a jury of eight women and four men."
"The special prosecutor asked that a grand jury be empaneled to investigate the matter."
Every American criminal trial begins with one word: someone must be empaneled — sworn in — before justice can even start.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of empaneled
Empaneled derives from "empanel," formed from the prefix "em-" (a variant of "en-," meaning 'to cause to be in') plus "panel," from Old French "panel," meaning a piece of parchment or a list of names — ultimately related to Latin "pannus," meaning cloth. The term entered English legal usage in the late medieval period, when juries were literally selected by written lists of names. The parallel spelling "impanel" arose through the same prefix variation seen in words like "empower" and "endanger." Its cognates include "panel" itself and, more distantly, French "panneau."
Related word forms
How empaneled is actually used
Formal legal register. In British English, the spelling "impanel" is often preferred (with "impaneled" as its past tense), while "empanel" is more common in American English; both are correct. The word is almost exclusively used in judicial contexts.
Easily confused with empaneled
"Unimpeded" means unobstructed or not hindered, while "empaneled" refers specifically to the formal selection of people for jury service; they share no meaning despite superficial sound similarity.
"Panel" is the noun referring to the group itself (or a board/surface), while "empaneled" is the verb form describing the act of officially selecting that panel.