circuit judge
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of circuit judge
An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Regular readers may recall activist Hannah Dugan, the circuit judge in Wisconsin’s Milwaukee County who was indicted in federal court in April for allegedly helping a man avoid immigration law enforcement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025
The circuit judge overseeing the hearing, with approval from the victim's widower, said he would sign off on the new sentence, according to The Times.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2024
Over the course of a month, as the Associated Press reports, “a circuit judge, an appellate court, and the Missouri Supreme Court all agreed Hemme should be released, but she was still held behind bars.”
From Slate ● Aug. 9, 2024
Arguments about legal precedents go back to a lone 1869 opinion from Chief Justice Salmon Chase, who was hearing an appeal as a circuit judge rather than for the high court.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 7, 2024
“The morning of the election came, but did not bring out the usual scenes around the polls,” a circuit judge said.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
