court

1 of 2

noun

ˈkȯrt 

plural courts

often attributive

1

a

: the residence or establishment of a sovereign or similar dignitary

riding to the king's court

b

: a sovereign's formal assembly of councillors and officers

The king held a general court.

c

: the sovereign and officers and advisers who are the governing power

The court has decided against the alliance.

d

: the family and retinue of a sovereign

The court enjoyed the tournament.

e

: a reception held by a sovereign

2

a(1)

: a manor house or large building surrounded by usually enclosed grounds

Hampton Court

(2)

: motel

b

: an open space enclosed wholly or partly by buildings or circumscribed by a single building

the court at the center of the palace

c

: a quadrangular space walled or marked off for playing one of various games with a ball (such as tennis, handball, or basketball)

also : a division of such a court

d

: a wide alley with only one opening onto a street

3

a

: an official assembly for the transaction of judicial business see also court-packing, pack the court

b

: a session of such a court

The court is now adjourned.

c

: a place (such as a chamber) for the administration of justice

sat quietly in the back of the court

see also take to court

d

: a judge or judges in session

also : a faculty or agency of judgment or evaluation

… rest our case in the court of world opinion …

—Leonard H. Marks

4

a

: an assembly or board with legislative or administrative powers

b

: parliament, legislature

5

: conduct or attention intended to win favor or dispel hostility : homage

pay court to the king

court

2 of 2

verb

courted; courting; courts

transitive verb

1

a

: to seek to gain or achieve

court power

b(1)

: allure, tempt

mountain streams courting the fishermen

(2)

: to act so as to invite or provoke

courts disaster

2

a

: to seek the affections of

especially : to seek to win a pledge of marriage from

b

of an animal : to perform actions in order to attract for mating

a male bird courting a female

3

a

: to seek to attract (as by solicitous attention or offers of advantages)

college teams courting high school basketball stars

Both candidates were courting the independent voters.

b

: to seek an alliance with

intransitive verb

1

: to engage in social activities leading to engagement and marriage

2

of an animal : to engage in activity leading to mating

a pair of robins courting in the trees

Synonyms

Noun

• palace

Verb

• ask (for)
• flirt (with)
• invite
• woo

Examples of court in a Sentence

Noun

Court is now in session.

Court is adjourned for the day.

There was a large group of protesters outside the court.

a lawyer who has appeared in courts around the country

The case is before the state's highest court.

She's a judge on an appellate court.

The prosecution has new evidence to submit to the court.

Please explain to the court what happened that night.

The court ruled the law unconstitutional.

The court reversed the lower court's decision.

Verb

The couple courted for two years before marrying.

He was courting his college sweetheart.

a pair of robins courting

The male will sometimes court the female for hours.

college teams courting high school basketball stars

The speech was clearly intended to court middle-class voters.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

After spending decades as a cable repairman, Gonzalez began working in law enforcement in 2015 as a reserve Orange County deputy, his family said in court filings. —James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024

The court found the assertion that Farrakhan is antisemitic are not verifiable. —Jack Greiner, The Enquirer, 17 Apr. 2024

Hill’s victims were each out thousands or even millions of dollars, according to court documents. —Jason Green, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024

Desiree Figueroa has not been sentenced, but was slated to appear in court for a hearing on her case Wednesday. —USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024

State law allows challenges of the signatures in court. —Maritza Dominguez, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024

When the Ugandan government passed an aggressive anti-gay law last year, Frank and his allies immediately challenged it in court. —TIME, 17 Apr. 2024

After a long two days of court naps and having to sit through mean memes, Donald Trump took to Truth Social to throw a tantrum. —Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2024

That civil order was issued after Yang used investment funds to finance her lifestyle − including casino gambling, luxury cars, and trips to Hawaii, Thailand, Cancun and Las Vegas, according to court documents. —Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2024

Verb

Biden and Trump are both courting these working class voters, particularly in states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin. —Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024

Biden’s likely opponent this fall, former president Donald Trump, is courting the same voters with his own brand of economic nationalism. —David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024

While Biden courts the critical voting bloc, his likely GOP presidential opponent -- former President Donald Trump -- faced a criminal trial in a Manhattan courtroom, which Biden made a veiled reference to in his remarks. —Justin Gomez, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2024

The opposition is actively courting lower-caste voters as well, including advocating for a nationwide survey on the distribution and demographics of different caste groups. —Fahad Shah, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Apr. 2024

To protect the ecosystem and mitigate the impact of mass tourism, Palau is building a luxury tourism model (read: high-spend, low-volume) by courting some of the ritziest names in hospitality. —Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2024

Indigenous groups have been courted by both sides in this political and ethnic rivalry. —Gaiutra Bahadur Keisha Scarville, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024

For instance, Xi last week hosted American CEOs in Beijing to court them on investing in China. —Fatima Hussein, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024

The division, thanks to Stuber, was able to court top filmmaking talent. —Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French curt, court, from Latin cohort-, cohors enclosure, group, retinue, cohort, from co- + -hort-, -hors (akin to hortus garden) — more at yard

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

1567, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing court

• appeals court
• circuit court
• clay court
• county court
• court appearance
• court-appointed attorney
• court bouillon
• court card
• court disaster
• court-martial
• court of appeals
• court of claims
• court of common pleas
• court of domestic relations
• court of honor
• court of inquiry
• court of law
• court of record
• court of sessions
• court order
• court packing
• court plaster
• court reporter
• court shoe
• court tennis
• criminal court
• crown court
• district court
• domestic relations court
• drumhead court-martial
• family court
• federal court
• federal district court
• food court
• friend of the court
• full-court press
• go to court
• grass court
• half-court
• have one's day in court
• high court
• hold court
• juvenile court
• kangaroo court
• law court
• magistrate's court
• moot court
• motor court
• municipal court
• night court
• open court
• orphan's court
• out of court
• out-of-court settlement
• pack the court
• pay court to
• police court
• probate court
• provost court
• service court
• small-claims court
• superior court
• supreme court
• take to court
• tennis court
• territorial court
• the ball is in one's court
• the court of public/world opinion
• tourist court
• traffic court
• trial court

Kids Definition

court

1 of 2 noun

ˈkō(ə)rt 

ˈkȯ(ə)rt

1

a

: the residence of a ruler and especially a king or queen

b

: a ruler's formal assembly of advisers and officers as a governing body

c

: the family and followers of a ruler

2

a

: an open space completely or partly surrounded by buildings

b

: a space for playing a ball game

a tennis court

c

: a wide alley with only one opening onto a street

3

a

: an assembly for carrying out judicial business

b

: a session of a judicial assembly

court is now adjourned

c

: a building or room where legal cases are heard

d

: a judge in session

4

: attention designed to win favor

pay court to the king

court

2 of 2 verb

1

a

: to try to gain

court favor

b

: to act so as to invite or provoke

court disaster

2

: to seek the affections or favor of

the candidate courted the voters

3

a

: to engage in a social relationship usually leading to marriage

b

: to engage in activity leading to mating

a pair of robins courting

Legal Definition

court

noun

ˈkōrt 

1

a

: an official assembly for the administration of justice : a unit of the judicial branch of government

the judicial power of the United States shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish

—U.S. Constitution art. III

b

: a session of such a court

c

usually capitalized : the Supreme Court of the United States

2

: a place (as a building, hall, or room) for the administration of justice

order in the court

3

: a judge or judges acting in official capacity

an issue to be decided by the court

the court may neither preside at nor attend the meeting of creditors

—J. H. Williamson

4

usually capitalized : a legislative body

the General Court of Massachusetts

5

: a body (as the International Court of Justice) exercising judicial powers over its members or the members of a body represented by it

an ecclesiastical court

Etymology

Noun

Old French, enclosed space, royal entourage, court of justice, from Latin cohort-, cohors farmyard, armed force, retinue