✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

criminal court

noun

: a court that has jurisdiction to try and punish offenders against criminal law

Examples of criminal 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.
Never before, in recent memory, have antifa members openly confessed in criminal court to their membership, let alone unmasked other associates. Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 23 Nov. 2025 New Orleans criminal court system still relies on paper files, though the city says a digital filing system is in the works. CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025 In 2000, she was convicted in adult criminal court, CBC News reported, but the verdict was overturned on appeal. Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 14 Nov. 2025 Northern California prosecutors used artificial intelligence to write a criminal court filing that contained references to nonexistent legal cases and precedents, Nevada County District Attorney Jesse Wilson said in a statement. Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for criminal court

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of criminal court was in 1605

Cite this Entry

“Criminal court.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criminal%20court. Accessed 27 Nov. 2025.

Legal Definition

criminal court

noun
: a court that has jurisdiction to try criminal defendants

More from Merriam-Webster on criminal court

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!