courthouse

noun court·house \ ˈkȯrt-ˌhau̇s \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

Definition of courthouse

1 a : a building in which courts of law are regularly held

b : the principal building in which county offices are housed

2 : county seat

See courthouse defined for English-language learners

See courthouse defined for kids

Recent Examples of courthouse from the Web

Tensions rose again at the end of the session when Ford called Ward up to the bench and spoke in vague terms about reports that Ward had repeatedly misbehaved on trips from county jail to the courthouse.

— megan crepeau, chicagotribune.com, "Judge bars playing entire statement of suspect in Hadiya Pendleton's slaying, gutting its case, defense says," 11 July 2018
And promises by Tag Meir to come to the courthouse for the next hearing to support the Dawabshe family.

— dina kraft, The Christian Science Monitor, "Into dark cycle of Mideast revenge, this group tries to bring light," 28 June 2018
Some were told to board a different, also unlabeled, bus and were taken to the federal courthouse for criminal prosecutions in McAllen, where they were shackled before a judge and sent to detention facilities or deported.

— silvia foster-frau, San Antonio Express-News, "After crossing the border, vastly different experiences for immigrant families," 21 June 2018
Some were told to board a different, also unlabeled, bus and were taken to the federal courthouse for criminal prosecutions in McAllen, where they were shackled before a judge and sent to detention facilities or deported.

— silvia foster-frau, Houston Chronicle, "After crossing the border, vastly different experiences for immigrant families," 21 June 2018
Harris chose not to speak with Santiago, who then took Harris from the hospital to the courthouse and left him handcuffed in the squad car in a basement parking lot for two hours.

— bruce vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A driver was stopped and arrested, violently, over the color of his car. His lawsuit is finally headed to a resolution.," 14 June 2018
That evening, several hours after the courthouse was closed, Katie Sasser, her boyfriend Johnny Hall, and some friends were at a local pizzeria enjoying trivia night when Sasser ambled in to pick up a pizza.

— bill torpy, ajc, "Torpy at Large: When a murderous cop has law-and-order enablers," 5 July 2018
The attorney general did not personally travel to Tazewell — the courthouse is about a five-hour drive from Herring’s Capitol Square office — to deliver the suit.

— laura vozzella, Washington Post, "Va. AG Herring sues Perdue Pharma, maker of Oxycontin, blaming it for opioid crisis," 27 June 2018
The courthouse was only our closest family and friends.

— nora deligter, Vogue, "On the Registry: Becca and Christine McCharen-Tran Requested Everything Outdoorsy," 30 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'courthouse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of courthouse

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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COURTHOUSE Defined for English Language Learners

courthouse

noun

Definition of courthouse for English Language Learners

: a building in which legal cases are heard

COURTHOUSE Defined for Kids

courthouse

noun court·house \ ˈkȯrt-ˌhau̇s \

Definition of courthouse for Students

1 : a building in which courts of law are held

2 : a building in which county offices are housed

Law Dictionary

courthouse

noun court·house

legal Definition of courthouse

: a building in which court is regularly held

Learn More about courthouse

See words that rhyme with courthouse Spanish Central: Translation of courthouse Nglish: Translation of courthouse for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of courthouse for Arabic speakers

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courthouse

Definition of courthouse

Recent Examples of courthouse from the Web

First Known Use of courthouse

COURTHOUSE Defined for English Language Learners

courthouse

Definition of courthouse for English Language Learners

COURTHOUSE Defined for Kids

courthouse

Definition of courthouse for Students

Law Dictionary

courthouse

legal Definition of courthouse

Learn More about courthouse

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courthouse

Definition of courthouse

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First Known Use of courthouse

COURTHOUSE Defined for English Language Learners

courthouse

Definition of courthouse for English Language Learners

COURTHOUSE Defined for Kids

courthouse

Definition of courthouse for Students

Law Dictionary

courthouse

legal Definition of courthouse

Learn More about courthouse

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