kangaroo court
a self-appointed or mob-operated tribunal that disregards or parodies existing principles of law or human rights, especially one in a frontier area or among criminals in prison.
any crudely or irregularly operated court, especially one so controlled as to render a fair trial impossible.
Origin of kangaroo court
1Words Nearby kangaroo court
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use kangaroo court in a sentence
The series that followed, tackling disinformation and kangaroo courts and cancel culture and race optics was as good as this show—which has proven itself to be so damn good—can get.
The Daily Beast’s 21 Best TV Shows of 2021: From ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Succession’ to ‘Sex Education’ | Kevin Fallon | December 20, 2021 | The Daily BeastSharpe was executed after a kangaroo court found him guilty, and his corpse buried in the sand near Montego Bay Harbor.
Capital Cities, "kangaroo court" This song has been around for a few weeks, but this video takes it to a whole new level.
From Katy Perry to Alice in Chains, the Best Music Videos of the Week | Victoria Kezra | September 7, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTIt works and he gets the attention of a pretty poodle, but things quickly go awry, leading them all to a literal kangaroo court.
From Katy Perry to Alice in Chains, the Best Music Videos of the Week | Victoria Kezra | September 7, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTI felt as if I were in a literary version of kangaroo court.
The Maslin Stain: A Writer Defends Himself Against the NYT Critic | William Stadiem | February 1, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
The sacking of Gotham is depicted largely in the form of a burlesque kangaroo court straight out of Terry Gilliam.
‘Dark Knight Rises’: Christopher Nolan’s Masterpiece | Richard Rushfield | July 26, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTThe next day I, with the other late arrivals, was initiated as a member of the "kangaroo court."
Tramping with Tramps | Josiah FlyntThe most interesting of these impromptu clubs is the one called in the vernacular the "kangaroo court."
Tramping with Tramps | Josiah FlyntI would say he is a Batista, and right away they would grab him, give him a kangaroo court and shoot him.
Warren Commission (8 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15) | The President's Commission on the Assassination of President KennedyAfter a while these games become tiresome, and the "kangaroo court" is formed.
Tramping with Tramps | Josiah FlyntUncle Ben hitched his chair, and with much chuckling, recalled the "kangaroo court" the cowboys used to hold at night in camp.
Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves. | Work Projects Administration
British Dictionary definitions for kangaroo court
an irregular court, esp one set up by prisoners in a jail or by strikers to judge strikebreakers
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for kangaroo court
A court that ignores principles of justice; a court characterized by incompetence and dishonesty.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with kangaroo court
A self-appointed tribunal that violates established legal procedure; also, a dishonest or incompetent court of law. For example, The rebels set up a kangaroo court and condemned the prisoners to summary execution, or That judge runs a kangaroo court—he tells rape victims they should have been more careful. This expression is thought to liken the jumping ability of kangaroos to a court that jumps to conclusions on an invalid basis. [Mid-1800s]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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