superior court
42
5.3
- noun
- /səˈpɪrɪər kɔrt/
- Specialized
:
tribunal superior
- The superior court in our state has jurisdiction over major criminal cases.
- superior court jurisdiction
- a superior court judge
- a county superior court
Examples
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On November 25, a new Superior Court was created to try the remaining cases.
Academic text (1992) -
Superior Court of California, County of Stockton, The People of State of California, Plaintiff, versus Charles Edmund Reece, Defendant.
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So they had a long hearing before Superior Court Judge William Clark.
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The Couny Superior Court is now in session.
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The Superior Court of the State of New York, County of Ulster, is now in session.
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Cases should originate in the district court as opposed to superior court.
Academic text (2004) -
She's a state Superior Court judge and former national pageant winner.
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On November 10, the New Jersey Superior Court denied the parents' request; Quinlan would remain on the respirator.
Academic text (1997) -
On May 5, they filed suit challenging the ordinance's constitutionality in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Academic text (1997) -
After the grand jury sent the case to the Fulton County Superior Court, Spence requested Walden serve as his legal counsel.
Academic text (2007)
Synonyms
52
4.4
A court that reviews and decides on cases from lower courts
21
7.4
A court that reviews and can change decisions of lower courts
18
5.0
A group of judges who review and can change decisions from lower courts
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase transparently combines 'superior' (higher rank/status) with 'court' (a judicial forum), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a higher-ranking or more authoritative court that hears appeals or has broader jurisdiction. This modifier + noun composition is cross-linguistically common and follows regular English compounding patterns, making the meaning directly derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Superior court is a name that shows this court is 'higher' than local courts. Imagine smaller courts below and the superior court above them handling more serious cases and 'appeals', so the name tells you it has more power.