trial
noun
tri·al
| \ ˈtrī(-ə)l
\
\
Definition of trial
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: the formal examination before a competent tribunal of the matter in issue in a civil or criminal cause in order to determine such issue
2a
: the action or process of trying or putting to the proof : test
b
: a preliminary contest (as in a sport)
3a
: a tryout or experiment to test quality, value, or usefulness — compare clinical trial
b
: one of a number of repetitions of an experiment
4
: a test of faith, patience, or stamina through subjection to suffering or temptation
broadly
: a source of vexation or annoyance
5
: attempt
trial
adjectiveDefinition of trial (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: of, relating to, or used in a trial
2
: made or done as a test or experiment
3
: used or tried out in a test or experiment
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Synonyms for trial
Synonyms: Noun
cross, crucible, fire, gauntlet (also gantlet), ordeal
Synonyms: Adjective
developmental, experimental, pilot
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Examples of trial in a Sentence
Noun
He did not get a fair trial. He testified at the trial. She is awaiting trial on charges of assault. Early trials have shown that the treatment has some serious side effects. Recovering from her injury was a real trial of strength. I know I was a bit of a trial to my parents when I was a teenager. Cold winters can be a trial for older people.Adjective
trial use of the product If you choose to use the software beyond the 30-day free trial period, you are required to pay for it.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
According to the New York Times, Miller read court documents, transcripts of witness testimonies, and more that she wasn't allowed to hear during the trial to better understand her case and craft her book. — Samantha Leach, Glamour, "Stanford Sexual Assault Case Survivor Emily Doe Comes Forward as Chanel Miller," 4 Sep. 2019 Evidence introduced during the two-week trial in July included computer records created by Tom Hofeller, a now-dead GOP redistricting guru who helped draw the 2017 legislative maps. — CBS News, "North Carolina judge rejects state legislative district maps drawn for GOP advantage," 4 Sep. 2019 Evidence introduced during the two-week trial in July included computer records created by Tom Hofeller, a now-dead GOP redistricting guru who helped draw the 2017 legislative maps. — Washington Post, "North Carolina judges toss districts drawn for GOP advantage," 3 Sep. 2019 Eighteen surgeries and some notoriety followed after his story became public during Bergdahl's trial. — Fox News, "Former Navy SEAL, 52, who was wounded in Bergdahl mission, heads to Yale as a freshman," 3 Sep. 2019 Eighteen surgeries and some notoriety followed after his story became public during Bergdahl's trial. — Pat Eaton-robb, courant.com, "Former Navy SEAL enters Yale as a 52-year-old freshman," 3 Sep. 2019 This week, a judge rejected a request by defendants to play one of the women's GirlsDoPorn videos during the trial. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "GirlsDoPorn.com faces trial for allegedly filming 22 women under false pretenses," 31 Aug. 2019 During a three-week trial, the teen from Northeast Baltimore had admitted to smoking pot and wandering Canton looking for unlocked cars to steal, then to ditching the murder weapon and later to lying to detectives. — Luke Broadwater, baltimoresun.com, "3 Baltimore men are convicted on gang charges related to murder of popular bartender in Canton," 31 Aug. 2019 Cochise County Superior Court ruled that several rules were violated during the trial. — Lauren Castle, azcentral, "Man gets new trial after local blogger posts video of jury online," 29 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
The trial brief states that authorities also found Galvez’s Facebook page. — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Gunman gets 80 to life in deadly theft of $800 worth of meth," 19 June 2019 Ripple’s investment comes a year after MoneyGram’s rival Western Union ended a trial experiment with XRapid, saying the XRP transfer service had not produced any significant savings. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, "Ripple Takes $50 Million Stake in MoneyGram in Push to Deploy XRP," 17 June 2019 The trial scene implodes, first as the clans squabble among themselves, and then as an unexplained fire breaks out and engulfs the room. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "15 years later, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is finally happening," 21 Mar. 2019 His legal team has cited frigid cell temperature, lack of clean blankets, isolation from other inmates—and the fact that his only reading materials are trial evidence. — Zolan Kanno-youngs, WSJ, "Trial of ‘El Chapo’ Poses Unprecedented Challenges," 12 Nov. 2018 People lined up in front of the downtown Orlando courthouse to get tickets for the courtroom where her mother, Casey, stood trial three years later — and was acquitted of murder. — Red Huber, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Casey Anthony saga 10 years later — A look back through iconic pictures," 22 June 2018 But the bill would essentially skirt the FDA’s normal approval process to get trial medicines more rapidly to patients with life-threatening illnesses. — Stephanie Armour, WSJ, "House Approves Giving Terminally Ill Quicker Access to Experimental Drugs," 22 May 2018 Only 50 of those trial color scheme hoodies were produced and sold in 23 regional shops. — Avalon R. Zoppo, Philly.com, "10 years after Rowan student's brutal killing, $100K reward remains unclaimed," 30 Oct. 2017 Trial 5 (Epilogue) The Funk Situation: Standard build-up from a couple weeks of coffee/water use. — Maggie Lange, Bon Appetit, "How to Get the Coffee Taste Out of Your Water Bottle," 29 Aug. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for trial
trial
noun
English Language Learners Definition of trial
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a formal meeting in a court in which evidence about crimes, disagreements, etc., is presented to a judge and often a jury so that decisions can be made according to the law
: a test of the quality, value, or usefulness of something
: a test of someone's ability to do something that is used to see if he or she should join a team, perform in a play, etc.
trial
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of trial (Entry 2 of 2)
: relating to or used in a test that is done for a period of time to see if something is worth buying, using, etc.
See the full definition for trial in the English Language Learners Dictionary
trial
noun
tri·al
| \ ˈtrī-əl
\
\
Kids Definition of trial
1