Supreme Court

American  

noun

1. the highest court of the U.S.

2. (in many states) the highest court of the state.

3. (lowercase) (in some states) a court of general jurisdiction subordinate to an appeals court.

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Supreme Court British  

noun

1. the highest Federal court, possessing final appellate jurisdiction and exercising supervisory jurisdiction over the lower courts

2. (in many states) the highest state court

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Supreme Court Cultural  

1. A federal court; the highest body in the judicial branch. The Supreme Court is composed of a chief justice and eight associate justices, all of whom are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. They serve on the Court as long as they choose, subject only to impeachment. Each state also has a supreme court; these courts are all courts of appeals, primarily hearing cases that have already been tried. The federal Supreme Court (“the” Supreme Court) has the final word on interpretation of all laws and of the Constitution itself.

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The McCulloch and Roe decisions illustrate the principle of broad construction (interpretation) of the Constitution. The opposite is narrow construction. Those who favor broad construction, or judicial activism, believe that the spirit of the times, the values of the justices, and the needs of the nation may legitimately influence the way justices decide cases. In contrast, narrow constructionists insist that the Court should be bound by the exact words of the Constitution or by the intentions of the framers of the Constitution or by some combination of both. This view is sometimes called judicial restraint.

Supreme Court decisions have a significant impact on public policy and are often extremely controversial. In interpreting the Constitution, the justices of the Supreme Court occasionally have deduced legal doctrines that are not clearly stated (or stated at all) in the Constitution. For example, in the famous case of McCulloch versus Maryland (1819), Chief Justice John Marshall advanced the opinion, accepted by the Court, that the Constitution implicitly gives the federal government the power to establish a national bank, even though such a power is not explicitly granted by the Constitution. Similarly, in Roe versus Wade (1973), the Court ruled that state laws restricting abortion violate the right of privacy.

Example Sentences

Supreme Court later reversed the appeals court ruling in another case, but the City Council has not reinstated the blanket anti-camping law.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

Though the stay will remain in effect while litigation proceeds, the Supreme Court could make a full ruling on the case in the not-too-distant future.

From Slate • May 18, 2026

That prompted the pill’s manufacturers to file an emergency petition with the Supreme Court to put the Fifth Circuit order on ice while legal proceedings play out.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

NI has different equalities laws from the rest of the UK so the NI Equality Commission is seeking a High Court ruling on how that Supreme Court ruling should be interpreted.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

And if the Supreme Court agreed with her, then it would uphold her interpretation of the law.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling