Main Entry:

cer·tio·ra·ri

Pronunciation:

\ˌsər-sh(ē-)ə-ˈrer-ē, -ˈrär-ē, -ˈra-rē\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, from Latin, literally, to be informed; from the use of the word in the writ

Date:

15th century

: a writ of superior court to call up the records of an inferior court or a body acting in a quasi-judicial capacity