supreme court

noun

often capitalized S&C

1

: the highest judicial tribunal in a political unit (such as a nation or state)

2

: a court of original jurisdiction in New York state subordinate to a final court of appeals

Examples of supreme court in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That would mean the state supreme court’s decision rejecting religious charter schools would remain. —Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 May 2025

The supreme court could render a decision on whether Bar remains in office, and for how long, based on technical issues. —Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2025

So that court is unlikely to tolerate the state supreme court’s violation of the Constitution. —Ian Millhiser, Vox, 14 Apr. 2025

President Trump first waded into the issue of IVF on the campaign trail when the Alabama supreme court upheld a couple’s wrongful death claims against an IVF clinic that accidentally destroyed their frozen embryos. —Ashley E. McGuire, National Review, 21 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for supreme court

• abort
• airport
• alport
• athwart
• carport
• comport
• consort
• deport
• distort
• escort
• exhort
• extort

Kids Definition

supreme court

noun

: the highest court in a political unit (as the U.S. or one of its states)

Legal Definition

supreme court

noun

su·​preme court

1

: the highest court in a nation or state

specifically, capitalized S&C : the highest court in the judicial branch of the U.S. government that has original jurisdiction over controversies involving ambassadors or other ministers or consuls but whose main activity is as the court of last resort exercising appellate jurisdiction over cases involving federal law

2

capitalized S&C : a court of original jurisdiction in New York

Note: The court of last resort in New York is the Court of Appeals.