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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:

While the district attorney’s office has not criminally prosecuted anyone for price gouging since the fires, both county and city attorneys have gone after alleged violators of the state law in civil court.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 13, 2026

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

Eichmann - an architect of the Jewish Holocaust - was hanged in 1962, becoming the only person previously sentenced to death by an Israeli civil court.

From BBC May 12, 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 clerks in New York City’s civil court recently reported that name changes are at an all-time high.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

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