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open court

British

noun

a court or trial to which members of the public are freely admitted

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

So Julie Le freaking out in open court doesn’t get us where we need to go.

From Slate • Feb. 6, 2026

“I’ve never heard of someone in open court not being identified,” Steglich said.

From Salon • Jul. 15, 2025

A correctional supervisor who thinks so highly of one of the brothers that he wouldn’t mind if they were neighbors is also supposed to take the stand, Geragos said in open court last week.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2025

The most recent documents presented in open court last autumn showed that Labour had spent £1.5m on legal action, and estimated it would spend nearly £900,000 more.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2024

The only time Jean Louise ever saw Judge Taylor at a dead standstill in open court was during a dispute of this kind.

From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee

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