What does empaneling mean?
Empaneling refers to the formal process of selecting, summoning, and swearing in a body of people to serve as a jury, or more broadly of placing names on an official panel or register. It is the present participle of the verb 'to empanel', whose more common spelling is 'to impanel'. In practice the word belongs almost entirely to the courtroom: before a criminal or civil trial can begin, the judge and attorneys undertake the delicate task of empaneling a jury — questioning prospective jurors about bias, striking those deemed unsuitable, and administering the oath that transforms them into a lawful tribunal. Grand juries are likewise empaneled, typically for fixed terms, to hear evidence and decide whether indictments should issue. Formal and technical in tone, the word carries connotations of procedure, impartiality, and civic duty. Its twin spellings — em- and im- — are both long-established, with British usage favoring 'impanel' and American courts often preferring 'empanel'.
Selecting and swearing in a group of people, especially a jury, for service in a court of law.
"The judge devoted two days to empaneling jurors for the murder trial."
Almost always used in legal contexts; the variant spelling 'impaneling' is equally correct.
Enrolling or listing a person on an official panel or register.
"The agency was responsible for empaneling qualified physicians to conduct the independent reviews."
Less common than the jury sense; found chiefly in administrative and governmental writing.
Every criminal jury trial in the English-speaking world begins with this one word's work: empaneling is the ancient ritual that turns twelve ordinary strangers into a sworn jury.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of empaneling
Empaneling derives from the verb empanel, formed from the prefix em- ('in' or 'into') plus 'panel', which came into Middle English from Old French. The noun panel originally meant a piece of cloth or parchment bearing a list of names — hence its application to the written roll from which jurors were drawn. The word entered legal use in medieval England, where juries were literally chosen by name from such a panel, and it has retained that courtroom meaning ever since.
Related word forms
How empaneling is actually used
Formal and almost exclusively legal or administrative in register. The spelling 'impanel(ing)' is more common overall, particularly in British English, while American courts frequently use 'empanel(ing)'. Both spellings are fully accepted.
Easily confused with empaneling
Impaneling is simply the more common variant spelling of the same word, with 'em-' preferred chiefly in American legal usage.