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Law vocabulary · Lawsuits & Procedure

Trial

Meaning in law, with examples

/ˈtraɪəl/nounCore term

In law, trial means: The formal process in court where evidence is presented and a judge or jury decides the case, usually after weeks or months of preparation.

In Turkish: yargılama, duruşma, muhakeme

How it is used

A case 'goes to trial'; a person is 'on trial' or 'stands trial'. In common law systems the trial is usually one continuous event over consecutive days, unlike systems where a case is heard in several short sessions over many months.

Example sentences

  1. The trial is expected to last three weeks.

  2. Most commercial disputes settle before they go to trial.

Common collocations

  • go to trial
  • stand trial
  • trial date
  • fair trial
  • jury trial
  • hearingA meeting of a court or tribunal where the parties or their lawyers present arguments or evidence on a particular issue.
  • juryA group of ordinary citizens, often twelve, chosen to listen to the evidence in a trial and decide the facts, for example whether a defendant is guilty.
  • judgeA public official who runs a court hearing, listens to both sides and decides the case, or tells the jury how the law applies.
  • proceedingsThe formal steps of a legal case, from the moment it is started until it is finished; the legal process as a whole.
  • courtA place or institution where judges hear legal disputes and decide them according to the law; the word can also mean the judges themselves.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Lawsuits & Procedure

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.