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criminal court

criminal court

18 3.3
A court that deals with illegal acts and decides punishments
  • noun
  • /ˈkrɪmɪnəl kɔrt/
translation icon : tribunal penal
  • Reporter: With bodyguards and attorneys, he went into Manhattan criminal court.
  • international criminal court
  • permanent international criminal court
  • adult criminal court

The one thing they're afraid of is the ICC International Criminal Court.

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Examples

  • In recent years, communities across the United States have instituted specialized criminal courts for defendants with substance abuse disorders and mental illness.

    Academic text (2005)
  • I am, unfortunately, in Criminal Court and if convicted, face up to five years in prison and a hefty fine.

  • We call the names, I want you to report to the criminal court on the second floor of this building.

  • The jail is just down the street from the criminal court.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Are we in criminal court here?

    Academic text (2017)
  • I had to ask someone how to find the criminal court building, so apparently I'd led a sheltered life.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • They have been indicted by a criminal court.

  • Today a Manhattan criminal court judge ruled the film obscene and ordered it removed from theaters in New York City.

  • If we pursue this in criminal court, what do you think will happen to him?

  • A premeditated murder is the most serious charge tried in our criminal courts.

Synonyms

court
vscriminal court
  • Formal
1.4

A place where a judge hears and decides legal cases

deals mainly with bringing and judging cases about illegal acts
court of law
vscriminal court
76 3.2

A place where a judge hears and decides cases about the law

focuses specifically on prosecuting and judging illegal actions
law court
vscriminal court
2 3.1

A place where a judge hears cases and gives decisions

centers on prosecutions and penalties for illegal actions
court of justice
vscriminal court
  • Formal
2 3.8

A place where judges decide legal cases and apply the law

handles prosecution of illegal acts rather than civil dispute resolution

Surface Forms

Morphology

criminal + court

The meaning 'a court that deals with crimes' is directly and transparently derived from combining the adjective 'criminal' (relating to crime) with the noun 'court' (a forum for legal cases). This simple adjective+noun composition is a common, cross-linguistic pattern in legal vocabulary and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Criminal court comes from two simple words: criminal, meaning a person who breaks the law, and court, the place where judges hear cases. So, it literally means a court that handles people accused of 'crimes' and decides if they are 'guilty' or not.