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.
The Manhattan federal court argued that neither the fentanyl crisis—which Trump used to justify tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico—nor the unfair trading relationships that his reciprocal tariffs were intended to fix constituted sufficient emergencies to override Congress' constitutional powers. Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025 The groups sued the Trump administration in federal court in Boston, where in April a judge granted a preliminary injunction preventing the end of the parole program and their possible deportation while their legal challenge is heard. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 30 May 2025 But on Wednesday, a federal court ruled that Trump didn’t have the authority to impose them in the first place. Chad De Guzman, Time, 30 May 2025 No specific preemption law With multiple federal courts having ruled that the state laws are not preempted by existing US laws and regulations, ISPs' best chance at preemption is probably for Congress to implement a nationwide preemption law. ArsTechnica, 30 May 2025 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

Cite this Entry

“Federal court.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/federal%20court. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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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