on trial

idiom

: in a situation in which evidence against one is presented in a court to a judge and often a jury to decide if one is guilty of a crime

on trial for murder

She went on trial for possession of drugs.

—sometimes used figuratively to indicate that people will think about something in a critical way

The controversial case has put the entire health care system on trial.

Examples of on trial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Hakyung Lee, 44, is currently on trial in Auckland for the 2018 deaths of her daughter Yuna Jo, 8, and son Minu Jo, 6. —Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025

Vegan celebrity chef Anthony Milan Ross is on trial for the deaths of his ex-wife and two children on Christmas Day 2017. —Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 9 Sep. 2025

Also on trial are seven of Bolsonaro's closest allies, including his former vice-presidential running mate, defense minister, and justice minister. —Carrie Kahn, NPR, 2 Sep. 2025

Still, there’s no question that scientific progress relies on trial and error and attempting to achieve the improbable. —Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025

Rhymes for on trial

• dial
• rial
• thiol
• vial
• denial
• mistrial
• posttrial
• pretrial
• retrial
• sensorial
• supervisorial