superior court
Americannoun
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the court of general jurisdiction found in many states of the United States.
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any court that has general jurisdiction above other courts.
noun
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(in England) a higher court not subject to control by any other court except by way of appeal See also Supreme Court of Judicature
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(in several states) a court of general jurisdiction ranking above the inferior courts and below courts of last resort
Etymology
Origin of superior court
An Americanism dating back to 1680–90
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.
Until now, recording proceedings was prohibited in most California superior court cases, requiring a licensed reporter to be present in order take down each word that was spoken for the official record.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Any interested party — a hospital, nursing home, social worker, adult protective services, friend or relative — can file a formal petition with the local probate or superior court.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
The judge, 63, has served on the federal court since 2011, and spent the decade prior to that as a local superior court judge, having been appointed by President George W. Bush.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026
The hearing was put to Los Angeles County superior court Judge Michael Jesic on Tuesday who resentenced the brothers.
From BBC ● May 14, 2025
Several ran for public office, and there were two superior court justices, one municipal court judge, two members of the California state legislature, and one prominent state official.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
