juvenile court

noun

: a court that has special jurisdiction over delinquent and dependent children usually up to the age of 18

Examples of juvenile 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.
Hamilton County's juvenile court and Cincinnati Public Schools allowed The Enquirer to visit classes on the condition that the students would not be asked about their court proceedings and that their names would not be published. Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 In the vast majority of cases, the child would stay in juvenile court, where sentences must end by 19. Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 In April, youth being tried as adults were detained in my facilities an average of 123 days, compared to an average of 16 days for youth retained in juvenile court. Vincent Schiraldi, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2025 Mahar is a longtime lawyer in Knox County representing kids in juvenile court. Paige Pfleger, ProPublica, 7 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for juvenile court

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of juvenile court was in 1899

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Cite this Entry

“Juvenile court.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/juvenile%20court. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.

Legal Definition

juvenile court

noun
: a court that has jurisdiction over juvenile delinquency proceedings or other civil proceedings involving minors or juveniles compare family court

More from Merriam-Webster on juvenile court

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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