noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˌkæŋɡəˌɹuː ˈkɔːt/
General-American:/ˌkæŋɡəˌɹu ˈkɔɹt/
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)t
1
noun
Meaning 1
A judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding, or a group of people which conducts such proceedings, which is without proper authority, and often acts abusively or decides unjustly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
an irregular unauthorized court
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: court, tribunal, judicature
History
Etymology
From kangaroo + court. The etymology is uncertain; it has been suggested that the term draws a comparison between the leaping of a kangaroo and one of the following: * The 19th-century practice of itinerant judges moving from place to place on the American frontier and trying cases speedily and perfunctorily in order to get paid. * The use of irregular courts during the California Gold Rush (1848–1855) to decide claims of “jumping” (illegally occupying) mining claims. * The notion that a kangaroo court jumps to conclusions.
Across languages
Translations
38 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
محكمة الكنغر
(mahkamat alkanghar)
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Catalan:
tribunal cangur
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Chinese Mandarin:
袋鼠法庭
(dàishǔ fǎtíng)
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Chinese Mandarin:
私設公堂 /私设公堂
(sīshè gōngtáng)
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Dutch:
volksgericht
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Esperanto:
konstruigita proceso
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Finnish:
kenttäoikeus
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Finnish:
pikatuomioistuin
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Finnish:
toverituomioistuin
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
French:
tribunal fantoche
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
French:
tribunal illégal
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
French:
tribunal improvisé
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
French:
tribunal irrégulier
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
French:
tribunal populaire
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Georgian:
კენგურუს სასამართლო
(ḳengurus sasamartlo)
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
German:
Pseudogericht
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
German:
Schaugericht
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
German:
Scheingericht
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Indonesian:
pengadilan kanguru
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Irish:
cúirt bhradach
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Italian:
tribunale illegale
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Japanese:
吊し上げ
(tsurushiage)
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Korean:
캥거루 재판
(kaenggeoru jaepan)
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Macedonian:
неза́конски суд
(nezákonski sud)
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Persian:
دادگاه پوشالی
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Polish:
dintojra
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Polish:
sąd kapturowy
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Portuguese:
tribunal canguru
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Portuguese:
tribunal arbitrário
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Russian:
суд кенгуру́
(sud kengurú)
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Russian:
шемя́кин суд
(šemjákin sud)
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Serbo-Croatian:
klokanski sȗd
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Serbo-Croatian:
kvazisȗd
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Swedish:
skenprocess
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Thai:
ศาลเตี้ย
(sǎan-dtîia)
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Thai:
ศาลเถื่อน
(săan tèuan)
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Vietnamese:
phiên tòa chuột túi
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding
Welsh:
llys cangarŵ
— judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding