federal court

noun

: a court established by a federal government
especially : one established under the constitution and laws of the U.S.

Examples of federal 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.
Holt, who has six cases pending in federal court over civil rights violation claims, said as soon as he was transferred, the state began trying to get the cases dismissed as moot, citing his relocation to West Virginia. Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025 Trump has tried to appeal by moving his case to a federal court, but CNN reported similar efforts have been unsuccessful in the past. Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025 An administrative claim, in this case, is a preliminary step to see if a settlement can be reached without a lawsuit in federal court. Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025 Attorneys for Boyd have called on the federal courts to block the execution to scrutinize the new method, a request a federal judge denied. Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for federal court

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of federal court was in 1789

Cite this Entry

“Federal court.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/federal%20court. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

federal court

noun
: a court established by the federal government and having jurisdiction over questions of federal law
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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