judicial review

[ joo-dish-uhl ri-vyoo ]

noun
  1. the power of a court to adjudicate the constitutionality of the laws of a government or the acts of a government official.

Origin of judicial review

1
First recorded in 1920–25

Words Nearby judicial review

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use judicial review in a sentence

Cultural definitions for judicial review

judicial review

The principle by which courts can declare acts of either the executive branch or the legislative branch unconstitutional. The Supreme Court has exercised this power, for example, to revoke state laws that denied civil rights guaranteed by the Constitution. (See also checks and balances.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.