mistrial

noun

mis·​tri·​al ˈmis-ˌtrī(-ə)l 

: 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

After a hung jury led to a mistrial at her first trial, Read was acquitted of all charges except operating under the influence during the retrial. —Matt Schooley, CBS News, 4 June 2026

After the jury was dismissed on Monday, Left’s lawyer asked for a mistrial, citing an unusual clerical error that resulted in the jury filling out an outdated version of the verdict form. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 2 June 2026

His first trial ended in a mistrial in June 2025. —Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026

Just last year, a Sacramento jury sentenced a man who shot and killed Sacramento police officer Tara O’Sullivan to die after two lengthy sentencing trials, including one that ended in a mistrial. —Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 28 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mistrial

• dial
• rial
• thiol
• trial
• vial
• denial
• posttrial
• pretrial
• retrial
• sensorial

Kids Definition

mistrial

noun

mis·​tri·​al ˈmis-ˌtrī(-ə)l 

: a trial that is cancelled because of an error in the proceedings

Legal Definition

mistrial

noun

mis·​tri·​al ˈmis-ˌtrī-əl 

: 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