Circuit court
Circuit court, one of many titles for judicial tribunals, usually applied to trial courts of general jurisdiction but occasionally, as with the United States Court of Appeals, to intermediate appellate courts operating in a particular geographic area. The title originally referred to a court that made a circuit traveling through the geographic area assigned to it.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Brian Duignan.
Citation Information
Article Title:
Circuit court
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
31 October 2026
Access Date:
November 14, 2026