contempt of court

Cultural

The deliberate obstruction of a court's proceedings by refusing to obey a court order or by interfering with court procedures. Contempt of court can be punished by fine, imprisonment, or both.

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.

After his court appearance the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service warned that the proceedings were subject to contempt of court rules.

From BBC • Oct. 22, 2025

Hasina, already convicted in July for contempt of court and sentenced in absentia to six months in prison, also faces ongoing corruption cases.

From Barron's • Oct. 16, 2025

Hasina has already been sentenced to six months in prison for contempt of court, and separately faces corruption charges.

From BBC • Oct. 16, 2025

In June, Lira pleaded guilty in Illinois federal court to one count of contempt of court for defying a Chicago judge’s order concerning the distribution of settlement funds.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025

Instead of citing them for contempt of court, the magistrate would then pose the questions they would not answer from me.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023