federal court

American  

noun

1. a court of a federal government, especially one established under the Constitution of the United States.

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Etymology

Origin of federal court

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90

Example Sentences

Ardestani, the Beverly Hills attorney, admitted that she was not forthcoming regarding her use of nonexistent and erroneous citations in filings for a wage-and-hour class-action complaint filed in federal court in Sacramento in March 2025.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

The sisters sued New York in federal court this week.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

That directive was put on hold by a federal court judge while a legal challenge by Anthropic works its way through the courts.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Rivas could try to appeal against the decision at the full federal court, Australian media reports, but it is unclear whether the grounds for such an appeal would be met.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

At Nixon’s order, the Justice Department went to the federal court in New York City to demand an injunction against the Times—a legal order to stop publication of the Pentagon Papers.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin