certiorari
noun
John GrishamExamples of certiorari in a Sentence
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 10 Oct. 2025
For those reasons, the 19 states requested the SCOTUS grant a stay until a certiorari can occur.
—Greg Wehner, Fox News, 19 Dec. 2022
Justices Thomas and Gorsuch dissented from denial of certiorari in a 2017 California case, Peruta v. San Diego.
—David B. Kopel, National Review, 12 Sep. 2019
If Elliott defied the odds and was granted certiorari, his case would not be heard until 2018, and his suspension would be stayed until after a Supreme Court ruling.
—Michael McCann, SI.com, 12 Oct. 2017
One other twist: The request for a hearing — known to lawyers as a petition for certiorari — requires only four votes to be granted.
—Greg Stohr, The Seattle Times, 21 June 2017
Jason Michael Sharp and James Osgood both filed for a writ of certiorari to the state's highest court-- a petition that asks the court to hear their separate cases.
—Ivana Hrynkiw, AL.com, 16 June 2017
But the tweets could bolster his opposing counsels’ arguments in applications for stays and petitions for certiorari, enabling his opponents to at least temporarily block or hamstring the president’s efforts.
—Danielle Tcholakian, Longreads, 5 June 2017
On Thursday of last week, Wall had filed a petition for certiorari in International Refugee Assistance Program v. Trump.
—Garrett Epps, The Atlantic, 5 June 2017
Cite this Entry
“Certiorari.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/certiorari. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
certiorari
noun
Note: Certiorari is one of the two ways to have a case from a U.S. Court of Appeals reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court. Certification is the other. The Supreme Court may also use certiorari to review a decision by a state's highest court when there is a question as to the validity of a federal treaty or statute, or of a state statute on constitutional grounds. Certiorari is also used within state court systems.
Medieval Latin certiorari (volumus) (we wish) to be informed (words used in the Latin texts of such writs)
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