court
Other forms: courts; courted; courting
A court is a room where justice is administered. Many popular television shows feature scenes in court, although it’s debatable whether these depictions are realistic.
Court can refer not just to the courtroom but also to the judges who preside over it, as in the example of the U.S. Supreme Court. Court can also refer to monarchs and their attendants, as in the phrase "royal court." As a verb, court means “try to win the affections of someone,” as, historically, people sought to win the favor of royalty. (But if you try courting anyone in a modern courtroom, you'll probably be accused of bribery.)
Definitions of court
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an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
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synonyms:
judicature, tribunal
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types:
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court of justice, court of law, lawcourt
a tribunal that is presided over by a magistrate or by one or more judges who administer justice according to the laws
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International Court of Justice, World Court
a court established to settle disputes between members of the United Nations
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appeals court, appellate court, court of appeals
a court whose jurisdiction is to review decisions of lower courts or agencies
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assizes, court of assize, court of assize and nisi prius
the county courts of England (replaced in 1971 by Crown courts)
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chancery, court of chancery
a court with jurisdiction in equity
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consistory
a church tribunal or governing body
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criminal court
a court having jurisdiction over criminal cases
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divorce court
a court having jurisdiction over the termination of marriage contracts
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court of domestic relations, domestic relations court, family court
a court in some states in the United States that has jurisdiction over family disputes (especially those involving children)
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federal court
a court establish by the authority of a federal government
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F.I.S.C., Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
a secret federal court created in 1978 by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act; responsible for authorizing wiretaps and other forms of electronic surveillance and for authorizing searches of suspected spies and terrorists by the Department of Justice or United States intelligence agencies
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inferior court, lower court
any court whose decisions can be appealed to a higher court
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Inquisition
a former tribunal of the Roman Catholic Church (1232-1820) created to discover and suppress heresy
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juvenile court
a court having jurisdiction over dependent and delinquent children
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kangaroo court
an irregular unauthorized court
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military court
a judicial court of commissioned officers for the discipline and punishment of military personnel
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moot court
a mock court where law students argue hypothetical cases
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police court
a court that has power to prosecute for minor offenses and to bind over for trial in a superior court anyone accused of serious offenses
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probate court
a court having jurisdiction over the probate of wills and the administration of estates
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quarter sessions
a local court with criminal jurisdiction and sometimes administrative functions
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Rota
(Roman Catholic Church) the supreme ecclesiastical tribunal for cases appealed to the Holy See from diocesan courts
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Star Chamber
a former English court that became notorious for its arbitrary methods and severe punishments
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superior court
any court that has jurisdiction above an inferior court
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high court, state supreme court, supreme court
the highest court in most states of the United States
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traffic court
a court that has power to prosecute for traffic offenses
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trial court
the first court before which the facts of a case are decided
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circuit court of appeals
one of the twelve federal United States courts of appeals that cover a group of states known as a `circuit'
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court-martial
a military court to try members of the armed services who are accused of serious breaches of martial law
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night court
a criminal court (in large cities) that sits at night
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Old Bailey
the central criminal court in London
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provost court
a military court for trying people charged with minor offenses in an occupied area
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Supreme Court, Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court
the highest federal court in the United States; has final appellate jurisdiction and has jurisdiction over all other courts in the nation
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type of:
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assembly
a group of persons who are gathered together for a common purpose
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a tribunal that is presided over by a magistrate or by one or more judges who administer justice according to the laws
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synonyms:
court of justice, court of law, lawcourt
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type of:
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judicature, tribunal
an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
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judicature, tribunal
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a room in which a lawcourt sits
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the sovereign and his advisers who are the governing power of a state
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synonyms:
royal court
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types:
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Court of Saint James's
the British royal court
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Porte, Sublime Porte
the Ottoman court in Constantinople
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type of:
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authorities, government, regime
the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit
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Court of Saint James's
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the family and retinue of a sovereign or prince
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synonyms:
royal court
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the residence of a sovereign or member of the nobility“the king will visit the duke's court”
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type of:
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residence
the official house or establishment of an important person (as a sovereign or president)
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residence
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an area wholly or partly surrounded by walls or buildings“the house was built around an inner court”
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synonyms:
courtyard
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types:
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atrium
the central area in a building; open to the sky
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bailey
the outer courtyard of a castle
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cloister
a courtyard with covered walks (as in religious institutions)
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food court
an area (as in a shopping mall) where fast food is sold (usually around a common eating area)
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forecourt
the outer or front court of a building or of a group of buildings
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parvis
a courtyard or portico in front of a building (especially a cathedral)
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type of:
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area
a part of a structure having some specific characteristic or function
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a specially marked horizontal area within which a game is played“players had to reserve a court in advance”
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types:
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badminton court
the court on which badminton is played
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basketball court
the court on which basketball is played
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handball court
the court on which handball is played
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piste
a flat rectangular area for fencing bouts
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squash court
the indoor court in which squash is played
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tennis court
the court on which tennis is played
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volleyball court
the court on which volleyball is played
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home court
(basketball) the court where the host team plays its home games
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type of:
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athletic field, field, playing area, playing field
a piece of land prepared for playing a game
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a hotel for motorists; provides direct access from rooms to parking area
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synonyms:
motor hotel, motor inn, motor lodge, tourist court
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respectful deference
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seek someone's favor
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synonyms:
woo
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make amorous advances towards
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engage in social activities leading to marriage
Pronunciation
US
/kɔrt/
UK
/kɔt/
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘court'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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