Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for civil court. Search instead for civil suit.

civil court

American  

noun

  1. a court of law in which civil cases are tried and determined.

  2. a secular court as opposed to an ecclesiastical or military court.


Etymology

Origin of civil court

First recorded in 1550–1600

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.

See Examples For:

Monday's announcement came days after Adani agreed to pay a separate $18 million settlement in a US civil court case linked to corruption, without admitting guilt, according to one of his other companies.

From Barron's May 18, 2026

If a tenant believes the amount is excessive, they can challenge the landlord at a type of civil court called a first-tier tribunal.

From BBC Apr. 28, 2026

County judges now have access to an artificial intelligence tool that can help them summarize motions and draft rulings in civil court.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 14, 2026

Tinsley, the Spivey family’s attorney, asked Tamasi during a civil court hearing in February.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 5, 2026

The term informed consent first appeared in court documents in 1957, in a civil court ruling on the case of a patient named Martin Salgo.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training