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

Sun Sentinel The new lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment and an injunction through the more-normal process of going to circuit court. —Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2025

Currently a circuit court judge in Dane County, Crawford was at one point a private attorney and previously represented Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. —Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025

The current election pits former Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel, now a circuit court judge in conservative-leaning Waukesha County, against Susan Crawford, a judge in Dane County, the state’s liberal bastion. —Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 28 Mar. 2025

Justice Department attorneys subsequently asked the circuit court to step in and stop the hearing and to assign the case to a different judge, but the hearing proceeded as planned. —Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1708, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for circuit court

• heliport
• nonsupport
• reexport
• teleport
• ultrashort
• abort
• airport
• alport
• athwart
• carport
• comport
• consort

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.