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federal court

American

noun

a court of a federal government, especially one established under the Constitution of the United States.

Etymology

Origin of federal 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.

Ardestani, the Beverly Hills attorney, admitted that she was not forthcoming regarding her use of nonexistent and erroneous citations in filings for a wage-and-hour class-action complaint filed in federal court in Sacramento in March 2025.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

The sisters sued New York in federal court this week.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

The AI startup sought a stay of the action in appellate court here and also sued the Department of War in federal court in Northern California.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Rivas could try to appeal against the decision at the full federal court, Australian media reports, but it is unclear whether the grounds for such an appeal would be met.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Leaders were eager to appeal it all the way up to federal court.

From "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" by Phillip Hoose

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