district court
Americannoun
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(in many states) the court of general jurisdiction.
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the federal trial court sitting in each district of the United States.
noun
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(in Scotland) a court of summary jurisdiction held by a stipendiary magistrate or one or more justices of the peace to deal with minor criminal offences
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a federal trial court serving a federal judicial district
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(in some states) a court having general jurisdiction in a state judicial district
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Former name: magistrates' court. (in Australia and New Zealand) a court lower than a high court
Etymology
Origin of district court
An Americanism dating back to 1780–90
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.
Rudolph Randa, chief judge of a Wisconsin district court, said in 2007 that he would take senior status if and only if a successor was appointed before George W. Bush left office.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
They said they had filed a request with the Oslo district court for a provisional injunction against the entry into force of the terms of use, pending a ruling on the substance of the case.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026
Enforcement of the law has been blocked by a district court and the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals while proceedings continue.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026
“How do we have jurisdiction when the district court has said it’s going to rule expeditiously?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026
The driver’s grandfather had recently retired as a district court judge, which gave the accident an extra public layer.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
