courthouse

/ˈkɔːthaʊs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɔːrthaʊs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkȯrt-ˌhau̇s/ (ame, mw)

courthouse — 名詞

  • courthousesingular
  • courthousesplural

1. a building where judges hear legal cases, trials take place, and courts decide t

1.名詞B1
釋義

法院大樓

設有法庭、審理案件的建築

a building where judges hear legal cases, trials take place, and courts decide the outcome

例句

Jiwoo's father is a court reporter at the downtown courthouse and types every word from trials.

Jiwoo 的父親是市區法院大樓的法庭記錄員，負責將庭審內容逐字記錄下來。

collocation: is a court reporter at the courthouse / types every word from trials

The murder trial was moved to the central courthouse to find an impartial jury.

那起謀殺案審判被移到位於市中心的法院大樓，以便找到公正的陪審團。

同義詞
  • court building

    more transparent and literal, but less idiomatic than 'courthouse'

  • judicial building

    formal register; used for any building that houses legal institutions

用法筆記

A courthouse is the physical building; do not use it to refer to the legal authority itself. For the institution that makes legal rulings, use 'court' (e.g. 'The court ordered a new trial,' not 'The courthouse ordered a new trial.')

常見錯誤

❌The courthouse sentenced him to five years in prison.
✅The court sentenced him to five years in prison.
💡A courthouse is a building; a court is the legal authority that gives judgments.

2. a building in the United States that houses county government offices where the

2.名詞B2
釋義

郡政府

美國郡級政府辦公的場所

a building in the United States that houses county government offices where the public handles official tasks such as paying taxes or getting licenses

例句

Imran went to the courthouse to register his car and pay property taxes.

Imran 去郡政府辦理汽車登記並繳納房產稅。

collocation: went to the courthouse to [do paperwork]

Mei went to the county courthouse to apply for a marriage license and get her birth certificate.

Mei 到郡政府大樓申請結婚證書，並索取出生證明。

collocation: apply for a license / get a birth certificate at the courthouse

同義詞
  • county building

    a general term for any building housing county government services

  • county offices

    refers to the departments collectively rather than the physical building

用法筆記

This sense is primarily used in the United States. In Britain and most other English-speaking countries, a courthouse always refers to a building for legal courts, not a general administrative government building.

常見錯誤

❌I mailed a letter from the courthouse.
✅I mailed a letter from the post office.
💡A US county courthouse handles government paperwork (taxes, licenses, records), not postal services.
❌The mayor's office is in the courthouse.
✅The mayor's office is in city hall.
💡Courthouses hold county government offices; city hall is the building for a city or town government.