kangaroo court

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See synonyms for kangaroo court on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

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Origin of kangaroo court

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

Words nearby kangaroo court

kanga, kanga pirau, kangaroo, kangaroo care, kangaroo closure, kangaroo court, kangaroo dog, kangaroo grass, Kangaroo Island, kangaroo paw, kangaroo rat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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 Beast
Sharpe was executed after a kangaroo court found him guilty, and his corpse buried in the sand near Montego Bay Harbor.
Jamaica’s Christmas Slave Uprising|Sean Braswell|December 23, 2020|Ozy
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|DAILY BEAST
It 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|DAILY BEAST

I 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|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|DAILY BEAST
The next day I, with the other late arrivals, was initiated as a member of the "Kangaroo Court."
Tramping with Tramps|Josiah Flynt
The most interesting of these impromptu clubs is the one called in the vernacular the "Kangaroo Court."
Tramping with Tramps|Josiah Flynt
I 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 Kennedy
After a while these games become tiresome, and the "Kangaroo Court" is formed.
Tramping with Tramps|Josiah Flynt
Uncle 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

kangaroo court

noun

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

kangaroo court

A court that ignores principles of justice; a court characterized by incompetence and dishonesty.

Other Idioms and Phrases with kangaroo court

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]