orphans' court

noun

1. a probate court in certain U.S. states.

Word History and Origins

Origin of orphans' court¹

First recorded in 1705–15

Example Sentences

The following year, the university successfully petitioned the Philadelphia Orphans’ Court to allow the burial on the basis that the identities of all but one of the Black Philadelphians were unknown.

From Seattle Times

In 1954, she was elected to the Prince George’s County Orphans’ Court, a forum to resolve disputes involving wills and estates but a position that didn’t require a law degree.

From Washington Post

“As a young Jewish woman starting in the Orphans’ Court, she was breaking barriers at every opportunity.

From Washington Post

Now the museum is petitioning the Orphans’ Court in Philadelphia to bury the 13 skulls at Eden Cemetery, a historically Black cemetery in the city.

From New York Times

Muhammad filed a formal objection with the Orphans’ Court saying as much.

From New York Times