trial

1 of 3

noun

tri·​al ˈtrī(-ə)l How to pronounce trial (audio)
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
2
a
: the action or process of trying or putting to the proof : test
b
: a preliminary contest (as in a sport)
3
a
: 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

trial

2 of 3

adjective

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

trial

3 of 3

verb

trialed or trialled; trialing or trialling; trials

transitive verb

: to test the functioning, value, or usefulness of (something)
In 2014, Germany trialed a copyright law granting publishers licensing fees for quoted content.Kim Willsher
So a raft of demonstration projects around the world have trialled "smart grids" that deal with electricity flowing in two directions—accommodating individuals selling power back to the utility company operation …Caroline Williams

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
Less than a year earlier, Elliott had advised the council to reject the mayor’s plan to buy out the Ash Street and Civic Center Plaza leases and said the case should proceed to trial. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2024 Related Articles San Jose mom charged in baby’s fentanyl death expected to be released to await trial Blame game? Scooty Nickerson, The Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2024 Their preliminary hearing, which will determine whether there is enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial, began on Monday and is expected to last until next Tuesday, per KNTV. Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 23 Mar. 2024 Dozens of protesters died during violence that followed trials against Sonko, which his supporters said were politically motivated. Rachel Chason, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024 Neuralink's goal with its human trials is to eventually enable a person with paralysis to use a computer or phone with their brain activity alone. Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024 Records show the men are being held in the Correctional Treatment Facility in Washington, D.C., pending trial. Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 Neuralink's first brain implant is still in clinical human trials. Michael Kan, PCMAG, 22 Mar. 2024 Use the free trial to watch IPL Cricket matches online free without cable. Rudie Obias, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024
Adjective
That trial may be pushed back for pre-trial appeals by Trump. David Jackson, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2024 Prosecutors described his reaching out to potential witnesses in his upcoming trial as witness tampering, and said his use of a VPN to watch football violated pre-trial agreements. Byleo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 26 Sep. 2023 In addition to setting the date for the trial to commence, Cannon also laid out pre-trial deadlines, including proceedings conducted under the Classified Information Procedures Act, a federal law that governs how classified information will be used in the case. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 21 July 2023 The lawyers argued that no trial date be set for the time being, while the two sides work through pre-trial motions and hearings. Devlin Barrett, Anchorage Daily News, 11 July 2023 As a result of pre-trial depositions, hundreds of texts, emails and documents have come out and the book will seek to create a chronological narrative around them. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 13 Apr. 2023 In other cases, ICE has detained and deported witnesses mid-trial, frustrating prosecutors. José F. Batista, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Apr. 2023 Here's what comes next: The discovery process During Trump's arraignment, the two parties discussed a schedule for pre-trial proceedings, including when information collected by prosecutors will be turned over to Trump's legal team and potential motions to be filed. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2023 More than 7,000 of those incarcerated are pre-trial defendants and presumed innocent until convicted. Kennedy Sessions, Chron, 31 Mar. 2023
Verb
Faced with a lack of funds to pay for essential tourist facilities such as new parking areas and additional waste management resources, Lofoten officials have been given the green light to trial a tourist tax. David Nikel, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 When Bima meets Marco, a professional soccer player from Bali Royal FC who is on the brink of retirement from his football career, Bima’s once unachievable dream becomes a reality because he is given a rare chance to trial with a youth academy in Europe. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Feb. 2024 This year, the city will trial a new day-tripper entrance fee of €5 per person ($5.44) during 29 peak days between April and mid-July. Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024 Once Powell pleaded guilty, Chesebro had been set to continue to trial on his own. TIME, 20 Oct. 2023 The Floyd County judge dismissed the case at the request of the district attorney, who decided not to bring Joey Watkins to trial again after his initial conviction was vacated. CBS News, 25 Sep. 2023 To both trial its technology and scale its user base, Worldcoin conducted initial field tests across 27 countries—from Norway and Chile, to Kenya and Sudan. WIRED, 28 July 2023 The pop-up will become a testing ground for the brand to trial its product assortment and to test market fit. Tiffany Lung, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 Chauvin pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges instead of going to trial a second time, while Lane and Kueng pleaded guilty to state charges of aiding and abetting manslaughter. Steve Karnowski, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French, from trier to try

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Adjective

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1971, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trial was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near trial

Cite this Entry

“Trial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trial. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

trial

1 of 2 noun
tri·​al ˈtrī(-ə)l How to pronounce trial (audio)
1
: the action or process of testing or trying
2
: the hearing and judgment of a case in court
3
: a test of faith, patience, or strength
4
: an experiment to test quality, value, or usefulness
5

trial

2 of 2 adjective
1
: of, relating to, or used in a trial
2
: made or done as a test or experiment
a trial run

Medical Definition

trial

noun
tri·​al ˈtrī(-ə)l How to pronounce trial (audio)
1
: a tryout or experiment to test quality, value, or usefulness see clinical trial
2
: one of a number of repetitions of an experiment

Legal Definition

trial

noun
tri·​al
: a judicial examination of issues of fact or law disputed by parties for the purpose of determining the rights of the parties compare hearing, inquest
Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French, from trier to try

More from Merriam-Webster on trial

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