court of inquiry

noun phrase

: a military court that inquires into and reports on some military matter (such as an officer's questionable conduct)

Examples of court of inquiry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Which seems an odd determination from a court of inquiry about the shipboard officers’ council, which was fairly clearly a kangaroo court. Howard Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'court of inquiry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1757, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of court of inquiry was in 1757

Dictionary Entries Near court of inquiry

Cite this Entry

“Court of inquiry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/court%20of%20inquiry. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Legal Definition

court of inquiry

: a military court that inquires into and reports on some military matter (as an officer's questionable conduct)
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