circuit court

noun

: a court that sits at two or more places within one judicial district

Examples of circuit court in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In a complaint filed in Miami circuit court Monday, historian and activist Marvin Dunn accused Miami Dade College of violating Florida’s public transparency laws in its quick decision last month to hand over prime downtown real estate to the state. Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025 Now, the Supreme Court—which decided to hear the case following a circuit court split—will consider whether Colorado's law violates the First Amendment, or is a permissible restriction on free speech. Solcyré Burga, Time, 7 Oct. 2025 Edisto Island, South Carolina — A blaze that engulfed the South Carolina home of a state circuit court judge and her husband, a former state senator, is under investigation, authorities said. Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025 In Wisconsin, a defendant seeking to appeal their conviction must often first file a motion for postconviction relief at the circuit court level, depending on the circumstances of their argument. Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for circuit court

Word History

First Known Use

1708, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of circuit court was in 1708

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Cite this Entry

“Circuit court.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circuit%20court. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

circuit court

noun
: a court that sits in more than one place in a judicial district: as
a
: a state court usually with original jurisdiction and sometimes with appellate jurisdiction
b
: any of the federal courts of appeals
not used technically

Note: Before 1948, the U.S. Courts of Appeals were known as Circuit Courts of Appeals.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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