Old Bailey

proper noun

A street in the City between Holborn Circus and St Paul's Cathedral.

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Meanings

proper nounthe Old Bailey
  1. A street in the City between Holborn Circus and St Paul's Cathedral.
  2. The Central Criminal Court in this street; the Crown Court in the City of London.
  3. broadlyThe English legal system.

Origin

Originally "The Bailey", a street running outside the western wall of medieval London; from the word bailey, a Middle English term for the outermost wall or court of a fortification. The courthouse built nearby in the 16th century, alongside old Newgate Prison, took its name from the street.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Old Bailey. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20Bailey

MLA

“Old Bailey.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20Bailey. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Old Bailey,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20Bailey.

Source: Old Bailey on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.