Definition

1. Noun:

   • A tribunal presided over by a judge or judges: A place where legal cases are heard and decided according to the law.
   • The residence of a sovereign or noble: The palace or household of a monarch or high-ranking noble.
   • A specially marked area for playing a game: A defined, often rectangular, surface used for sports like tennis or basketball.
   • The sovereign and their governing advisers: The collective body of a ruler and their officials who hold state power.
   • An assembly for judicial business: A formal meeting presided over by a judge to conduct legal proceedings.
   • An area enclosed by walls or buildings: An open space, often within a building complex, that is surrounded on most sides.

2. Verb:

   • To seek the favor or support of someone: To try to gain the goodwill or approval of a person or group.
   • To engage in a romantic relationship with the intent to marry: To date or woo someone seriously.
   • To act in a way that invites or provokes a particular outcome: To behave so as to make a specific, often negative, result more likely.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The case was brought before the court. (The legal matter was presented to the judge for a decision.)
  • The king held an audience in his court. (The king received people in his palace.)
  • We booked a tennis court for two hours. (We reserved a tennis playing surface for two hours.)
  • The artist sought patronage from the royal court. (The artist tried to gain support from the king and his advisors.)
  • The court is now in session. (The judicial proceeding has officially begun.)
  • The apartments were built around a central courtyard. (The living units surrounded an open, central area.)

• Verb:

  • The company is courting new investors. (The company is actively trying to attract new investors.)
  • They courted for a year before getting engaged. (They were in a serious romantic relationship for a year before deciding to marry.)
  • By ignoring safety protocols, you court disaster. (By not following safety rules, you are inviting a catastrophe.)

Advanced Usage

• "To pay court to someone": To show flattering attention or deference to someone, often to gain favor.

  • The nobles paid court to the new queen. (The nobles showed great respect and attention to the new queen to gain her favor.)

• "Out of court": Referring to a legal matter settled privately without a formal trial; (figuratively) not worthy of serious consideration.

  • They reached an out-of-court settlement. (They agreed on a resolution without a judge's verdict.)
  • His argument was laughed out of court. (His argument was dismissed as being completely without merit.)

• "To hold court": To be the center of attention in a social gathering, holding forth on topics.

  • At the party, the famous author held court in the library. (At the party, the famous author was the center of attention, speaking to an audience in the library.)

Variants and Related Words

• Courthouse (n): The building where a court of law is located.
  • The protest gathered in front of the courthouse.
• Courtroom (n): The specific room within a courthouse where legal proceedings are held.
  • The jury filed into the courtroom.
• Courtyard (n): An open area of ground surrounded by walls or buildings.
  • We had coffee in the hotel's courtyard.
• Courtly (adj): Polite, refined, and dignified in a manner associated with royal courts.
  • He bowed with courtly grace.

Synonyms

• Noun (tribunal): Tribunal, bench, judiciary.
• Noun (residence): Palace, manor, household.
• Verb (woo): Woo, date, romance.
• Verb (seek favor): Cultivate, curry favor with, solicit.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Court disaster/danger/trouble: To act in a way that makes a bad outcome very likely.
  • Driving that fast in the rain is courting disaster.
• Court controversy: To do something likely to cause public disagreement and discussion.
  • The artist's latest work is courting controversy.

Related Idioms

• "The ball is in your court": It is your turn to take action or make a decision.
  • I've made my offer; now the ball is in your court.
• "Laugh someone/something out of court": To dismiss someone or something as ridiculous or unworthy of consideration.
  • His proposal was laughed out of court by the board.
• "Friend of the court" (Amicus curiae): A person or group not a party to a case who offers information to assist the court in making its decision.
  • The environmental group filed a brief as a friend of the court.

Noun

1. respectful deference
   • pay court to the emperor
2. an area wholly or partly surrounded by walls or buildings
   • the house was built around an inner court
3. the residence of a sovereign or nobleman
   • the king will visit the duke's court
4. a tribunal that is presided over by a magistrate or by one or more judges who administer justice according to the laws
5. a hotel for motorists; provides direct access from rooms to parking area
6. the family and retinue of a sovereign or prince
7. Australian woman tennis player who won many major championships (born in 1947)
8. a specially marked horizontal area within which a game is played
   • players had to reserve a court in advance
9. the sovereign and his advisers who are the governing power of a state
10. a room in which a lawcourt sits
    • television cameras were admitted in the courtroom
11. an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

Verb

1. engage in social activities leading to marriage
   • We were courting for over ten years
2. seek someone's favor
   • China is wooing Russia
3. make amorous advances towards
   • John is courting Mary