contempt of court

Cultural

The deliberate obstruction of a court's proceedings by refusing to obey a court order or by interfering with court procedures. Contempt of court can be punished by fine, imprisonment, or both.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In 2024, he was jailed for 18 months after admitting contempt of court by repeating false claims against a Syrian refugee.

From BBC

Thames Valley Police said it was not naming the arrested man "as per national guidance", and warned that as the case was now active, care must be taken to avoid being in contempt of court.

From BBC

But David Hamilton has taken the unprecedented step of instructing solicitors to begin legal proceedings which could see the government held in contempt of court.

From BBC

"The Court may investigate the matter and treat the failure to comply as contempt of court," Hamilton added.

From BBC

Lawyers for the organisation, which puts on one of the UK's largest annual pride events, accused Joell-Deshields of two counts of contempt of court for failing to comply with the order.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023