pretrial
adjective
pre·tri·al
ˌprē-ˈtrī(-ə)l 
variants
or pre-trial
: occurring or existing before a trial
a pretrial hearing
Examples of pretrial in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
During a June 17 pretrial hearing, defense attorneys argued that the state's 47-month delay in seeking an indictment violated the defendants' due process rights.
—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
Busfield was released from custody one week later following a pretrial detention hearing in Bernalillo County, New Mexico.
—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
19 June 2026
If Judge Barrett denies Sorsby’s motion to dismiss, the case will proceed into pretrial discovery.
—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
17 June 2026
As Luigi Mangione's legal team heads back to court in New York City this week for a key pretrial hearing, some legal experts say his populist appeal, fueled in part by what some describe as his Instagram-ready good looks, could complicate his trials.
—
Suzanne Nuyen,
NPR,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pretrial
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.
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
Busfield was released from custody one week later following a pretrial detention hearing in Bernalillo County, New Mexico.
—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
19 June 2026
If Judge Barrett denies Sorsby’s motion to dismiss, the case will proceed into pretrial discovery.
—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
17 June 2026
As Luigi Mangione's legal team heads back to court in New York City this week for a key pretrial hearing, some legal experts say his populist appeal, fueled in part by what some describe as his Instagram-ready good looks, could complicate his trials.
—
Suzanne Nuyen,
NPR,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pretrial
Cite this Entry
“Pretrial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretrial. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
