supreme court

noun

variants often Supreme Court

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 suggests that the supreme court — which did not examine the 2025 law changes in the hearing—might not uphold the government’s sweeping changes, which stripped millions overnight of their status as dormant Italians. — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 29 July 2026

Dipke's party is the satirical group that has spearheaded the movement, named after a remark by the country’s chief justice of the supreme court comparing some unemployed young people to cockroaches. — ABC News, 23 July 2026

Last year, a coalition of leaders of some of the state’s biggest law firms wrote a letter to the state supreme court backing IOLTA funding for civil legal services. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026

The supreme courts of Michigan, Ohio and Oklahoma have all prohibited seizing private property to give it to another private party purely for economic development. — Aaron Walayat, The Conversation, 16 July 2026

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
• disport
• distort
• escort
• exhort

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.