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contempt of court

Cultural  

  1. 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.

Contempt of court is a serious offence against the workings of the justice system.

From BBC • Aug. 28, 2024

Contempt of court law prohibits publishing any information that creates a "substantial risk" of serious prejudice to a trial - including on social media.

From BBC • Sep. 1, 2022

Contempt of court can be punished by a jail term or a fine, at the court's discretion.

From Fox News • May 29, 2019

Contempt of court is a common law offense with no prescribed maximum penalty.

From Washington Post • Feb. 28, 2019

Contempt of court is a misdemeanour and is punishable by fine and imprisonment or either at discretion.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 2 "Constantine Pavlovich" to "Convention" by Various

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.