district court

noun

: a trial court that has jurisdiction over certain cases within a specific judicial district

Examples of district court in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On Tuesday, the Ninth Circuit appeals court judges ruled that their district court colleague erred in relying on the 2020 court order. Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2025 The nine-member court upheld the decision made by a district court judge in Tulsa last year, ruling that the plaintiff’s grievances about the destruction of the Greenwood district, although legitimate, did not fall within the scope of the state’s public nuisance statute. Sean Murphy, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Jan. 2025 The lawsuit was filed Thursday at state district court in Santa Fe, N.M., where a judge in July dismissed a charge of involuntary manslaughter against Baldwin in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 11 Jan. 2025 All Maryland circuit and district courts are closed, while the Supreme Court of Maryland will be holding Monday’s oral arguments via Zoom. Maryland snowstorm live coverage: Forecast for new snow accumulation Baltimore City City offices are closed Monday for nonessential employees. Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 6 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for district court 

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of district court was in 1789

Dictionary Entries Near district court

Cite this Entry

“District court.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/district%20court. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Legal Definition

district court

noun
often capitalized D&C
: a trial court having general or limited jurisdiction in a judicial district: as
a
: one of the federal trial courts sitting in a federal district
b
: a trial court within a state court system

More from Merriam-Webster on district court

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