mistrial

noun

mis·​tri·​al ˈmis-ˌtrī(-ə)l How to pronounce mistrial (audio)
: a trial that has no legal effect with regard to one or more of the charges brought against the defendant because of some serious error or prejudicial misconduct in the proceedings or a hung jury

Examples of mistrial in a Sentence

The judge declared a mistrial.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The first trial ended in July 2024 when the judge declared a mistrial following five days of deadlocked jury deliberations. Sean Neumann, People.com, 25 June 2025 Lewd messages revealed The deliberations come nearly a year after the prosecution’s first case against Read ended in a mistrial, when a jury could not come to a unanimous verdict on the charges against her. Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 16 June 2025 Read All About It The retrial of Harvey Weinstein ended abruptly in a mistrial when the jury foreperson refused to join deliberations on the remaining rape charge involving former actor Jessica Mann. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 13 June 2025 Farber declared a mistrial weeks after rejecting a Weinstein attorney’s request for a mistrial stemming from courtroom tensions with Mann. Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for mistrial

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mistrial was in 1628

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Cite this Entry

“Mistrial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mistrial. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

mistrial

noun
mis·​tri·​al ˈmis-ˌtrī(-ə)l How to pronounce mistrial (audio)
: a trial that is cancelled because of an error in the proceedings

Legal Definition

mistrial

noun
mis·​tri·​al ˈmis-ˌtrī-əl How to pronounce mistrial (audio)
: a trial that terminates without a verdict because of error, necessity, prejudicial misconduct, or a hung jury see also manifest necessity compare dismissal sense 2, trial de novo

More from Merriam-Webster on mistrial

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