held in contempt
idiom
law
: considered by the court to have broken the law by disobeying or disrespecting the judge
He was held in contempt for his outbursts during the trial.
Examples of held in contempt in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Colon was held in contempt and sentenced to a six years in prison, to run concurrent with his 84-year term, court records show.
—
Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2023
Marc Smith, the department director who was named in the suit, was repeatedly held in contempt of court last year for failing to comply with court orders to place state wards in appropriate settings.
—Grace Hauck, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2023
During one hearing in July, three witnesses from Cincinnati were held in contempt by the committee for refusing to answer questions.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 26 Dec. 2022
Anyone who violates it could be held in contempt of court, attorneys in the case say, which could come with fines or jail time.
—Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 8 Nov. 2022
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Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2023
Marc Smith, the department director who was named in the suit, was repeatedly held in contempt of court last year for failing to comply with court orders to place state wards in appropriate settings.
—Grace Hauck, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2023
During one hearing in July, three witnesses from Cincinnati were held in contempt by the committee for refusing to answer questions.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 26 Dec. 2022
Anyone who violates it could be held in contempt of court, attorneys in the case say, which could come with fines or jail time.
—Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 8 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for held in contempt
Cite this Entry
“Held in contempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/held%20in%20contempt. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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