federal court

noun

: a court established by a federal government
especially : one established under the constitution and laws of the U.S.

Examples of federal 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.
Apple on Friday sued OpenAI in federal court, alleging the ChatGPT maker stole company secrets, abetted by ex-Apple employees. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 10 July 2026 After three weeks of testimony in federal court in Oakland, California, this year, Musk lost that case. — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 10 July 2026 However, some of those changes were recently struck down in federal court. — Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 10 July 2026 According to court documents and information from the hearing in federal court, the release says, from October 2023 through January 2025, Lottman fraudulently obtained more than $1 million from customers and investors connected to the venue. — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for federal court

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above

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

Rhymes for federal court

See All Rhymes for federal court

Browse Nearby Words

federal council
federal court
federal deposit insurance
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Cite this Entry

“Federal court.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/federal%20court. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Legal Definition

federal court

noun
: a court established by the federal government and having jurisdiction over questions of federal law
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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