plural courts
1
a
: a formal legal meeting in which evidence about crimes, disagreements, etc., is presented to a judge and often a jury so that decisions can be made according to the law
Court is now in session.
Court is adjourned for the day.
—often used before another nouna court battle/fight
court cases/records/costs
b
: a place where legal cases are heard
There was a large group of protesters outside the court.
a lawyer who has appeared in courts around the country
His landlord threatened to take him to court. [=to start a lawsuit against him; to sue him]
The organization is prepared to go to court [=to start a lawsuit] to stop construction from proceeding.
They were able to settle/resolve the case out of court. [=without going to court]
c
: an official group of people (such as a judge and jury) who listen to evidence and make decisions about legal cases
The case is before the state's highest court.
She's a judge on an appellate court.
state/federal courts
The prosecution has new evidence to submit to the court.
Please explain to the court what happened that night.
The court ruled/declared the law unconstitutional.
The court reversed/rejected the lower court's decision.
2
: a large flat surface that is shaped like a square or rectangle and that is used for playing games like tennis and basketball
a basketball/tennis court
3
a
: the place where the leader of a country and especially a king or queen lives and works
the courts of Europe
He spent a lot of time at court.
b
: a king or queen and the people who live and work with him or her
The queen assembled her court.
a member of the king's court
4
a
—used in the names of short streets
My sister lives on Brynhurst Court.
—abbr. Ct.
b
—used in the names of apartment buildings or groups of apartment buildings
I live in the Franklin Court apartments on Main Street.
c
: courtyard
the villa's inner court
an interior court garden
courts; courted; courting
1
somewhat old-fashioned
: to act in a way that shows that you want or intend to get married
The couple courted for two years before marrying.
He was courting his college sweetheart.
2
of an animal
: to perform the actions that lead to sexual activity
a pair of robins courting
The male will sometimes court the female for hours.
3
: to give a lot of attention and praise to (someone) in order to get approval, support, etc.
college teams courting high school basketball stars
The government is courting [=wooing] investors from around the globe.
The speech was clearly intended to court middle-class voters.
Note: If you court someone's favor or court favor with someone, you try to get someone's approval.
4
: to act in a way that is likely to cause (something unpleasant) to happen to you
Anyone who refuses to evacuate is courting disaster. [=flirting with disaster]
They knew they were courting danger/trouble by accepting donations from a convicted felon.
Cite this Entry
“Court.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/court. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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