courthouse

noun

court·​house ˈkȯrt-ˌhau̇s How to pronounce courthouse (audio)
1
a
: a building in which courts of law are regularly held
b
: the principal building in which county offices are housed
2

Examples of courthouse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The number continued to decline as the COVID-19 pandemic set in, virtually closing the courthouse and leading to a slow recovery of in-person proceedings. Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025 Inside the courthouse, a slew of reporters are waiting for Mangione. Lorena O'Neil, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2025 Registration was only offered on the first and third Monday of each month at the courthouse and applicants had to pass a literacy test. Chadd Scott, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025 Upon arriving at the courthouse Thursday morning, members of the media were told those attending the sentencing hearing had to do so virtually from a different courtroom. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for courthouse

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of courthouse was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Courthouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courthouse. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

courthouse

noun
court·​house ˈkō(ə)rt-ˌhau̇s How to pronounce courthouse (audio)
ˈkȯ(ə)rt-
: a building in which courts of law are held or county offices are located

Legal Definition

courthouse

noun
court·​house
: a building in which court is regularly held

More from Merriam-Webster on courthouse

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