merits docket

American

[mer-its dok-it] / ˈmɛr ɪts ˌdɒk ɪt /

noun

a list of the cases resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court in a recorded vote after full briefing and oral arguments, and with written opinions signed by individual justices.

Etymology

Origin of merits docket

First recorded in 1885–90

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.

See Examples For:

merits docket

Last term, when there were both more cases and more referrals to the full court, the appeals to the shadow docket finally overtook those to the merits docket.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026

The appeals to the emergency docket have long outnumbered those to the merits docket, but most are procedural requests or requests to stay execution for capital offenses.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026

It leads to this interplay between the shadow docket and the merits docket.

From Slate ● Jun. 1, 2026

After all, to a greater extent than has been true in generations, the merits docket is providing plenty of fodder all by itself.

From Slate ● May 24, 2023

The cases and statistics discussed so far concern the so-called merits docket, where the court receives full briefing, hears arguments and issues reasoned decisions.

From New York Times ● Jul. 1, 2022

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