court of public opinion
9
4.4
- noun
- Literature
:
tribunal de la opinión pública
- The politician faced a significant challenge in the court of public opinion after the scandal broke.
- win the court of public opinion
- tried in the court of public opinion
- convicted in the court of public opinion
You know, there's no, it's the court of public opinion now.
- You know, there's no, it's the court of public opinion now.
- But you know, this whole idea that everything is arbitrated in the court of public opinion versus actual court.
- So that felt like I was being kind of prepared or, or run through the court of public opinion and that things could get really quite bad after that.
Examples
-
In the court of law, people are innocent until proven guilty; unfortunately, in the court of public opinion, a person is guilty until proven innocent, and Fine was considered as guilty as they come.
Blog text (28) -
But to be honest, the court of public opinion... has already ruled in our favor.
-
There is still the court of public opinion.
-
It's a different matter in the court of public opinion, of course.
-
But you might do better in the court of public opinion.
-
It seems the court of public opinion is the only court in the land these days.
Blog text (23) -
It is said that the media acts as the judge in the court of public opinion, in both directions.
Blog text (34) -
With today's media and the court of public opinion, as much dignity as possible must be preserved.
Blog text (8) -
The conviction may be legally expunged in the eyes of the law, but it will not be expunged in the court of public opinion.
Blog text (16) -
While concessions will come at the bargaining table, the court of public opinion will dictate which side feels the most pressure to compromise.
Blog text (8)
Synonyms
298
1.0
The view that most people in a group have
168
2.4
The views most people in a society have about an issue
11
2.9
A belief that most people in a group share
1
8.9
What most people think about something
1
4.1
What most people think or want about a public issue
Antonyms
How Public
4
5.8
- Literature
12
3.0
- Literature
9
4.4
- Literature
446
2.7
512
3.0
26
2.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase transparently combines 'court' (a forum for judgment) with 'public opinion' (what ordinary people think), so a learner who knows the constituents can infer it refers to being judged by the general public. However, the use is metaphorical — it does not refer to a literal legal court and carries the extra nuance of informal/social judgment outside legal procedures — a detail a B1 learner might not fully predict without exposure.
Etymology
Court of public opinion imagines a court where the public speaks like judges and their opinion gives a quick verdict even without a real trial. That's why the phrase means being 'judged' by people and the news rather than by a real court.