friend of the court

noun phrase

Examples of friend of the 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.
Prosecutors did not give any insight into the administration’s rationale for the about-face but did urge the appeals court to appoint a friend of the court to represent the opposing side. Ella Lee, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2025 In addition, the review included friend of the court briefs the state filed to the Supreme Court and Burgum’s financial disclosures and public testimony. Mary Steurer, ProPublica, 24 Jan. 2025 District attorneys from Riverside and San Bernardino Counties have already filed amicus or friend of the court briefs in the case, arguing against the petition. Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 28 May 2026 On April 8, a group of more than 60 current and former general counsels for major corporations filed an amicus or 'friend of the court' brief on behalf of Perkins Coie. Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025 Hester referred to Suski signing onto a friend of the court brief in support of a suit challenging West Virginia's law banning transgender girls from competing on female high school or college teams. Ryan Anderson, Arkansas Online, 29 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of friend of the court was in 1776

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Cite this Entry

“Friend of the court.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/friend%20of%20the%20court. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Legal Definition

friend of the court

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