amicus curiae

UK: /æˈmiːkʊs ˈkjʊərɪˌiː/

US: (ə mī′kəs kyŏŏr′ē ē′, ə mē′kəs kyŏŏr′ē ī′)

Inflections of 'amicus curiae' (n): npl: amici curiae

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

a•mi•cus cu•ri•ae  (ə mī′kəs kyŏŏr′ē ē′, ə mē′kəs kyŏŏr′ē ī′), pl. a•mi•ci cu•ri•ae (ə mī′kī kyŏŏr′ē ē′, ə mē′kē kyŏŏr′ē ī′). [Law.]

1. Law a person, not a party to the litigation, who volunteers or is invited by the court to give advice upon some matter pending before it. Also called friend of the court. 

• Neo-Latin
• 1605–15

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

amicus curiae / æˈmiːkʊs ˈkjʊərɪˌiː/ noun ( amici curiae / æˈmiːkaɪ/)

1. a person not directly engaged in a case who advises the court

Etymology: Latin, literally: friend of the court