trial definition - Dictionary

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trial

tri·al [ tr əl, trīl ]

noun (plural tri·als)

Definition:

1. formal legal process: a formal examination of the facts and law in a civil or criminal action before a court of law in order to determine an issue

2. use of court trial: the use of a court trial to determine an issue or somebody's guilt or innocence

standing trial for fraud

3. test: a test or experiment to determine the quality, safety, performance, usefulness, or public acceptance of something

a drug currently undergoing clinical trials

4. painful experience: an instance of trouble or hardship, especially one that tests somebody's ability to endure

5. somebody or something troublesome: somebody or something that causes trouble or annoyance to somebody else

He's such a trial!

6. preliminary competition: a sports competition or preliminary test to select candidates for a later competition

7. effort: an earnest attempt to do something ( formal )

a trial to circle the globe in a hot-air balloon

adjective

Definition:

1. experimental: done as a test or experiment

a trial separation

2. law of court trial: relating to or used in a court trial

a trial judge

[Mid-15th century. < Anglo-Norman triallum< Old French trier (see try)]

Spelling Note


	See trail.

Cultural Note


	The Trial, a novel (1925) by Austrian (Czech) writer Franz Kafka. It is the story of Josef K, a young bank clerk who is abruptly arrested for an unspecified misdemeanor. After a long, unsuccessful attempt to discover the nature of his crime, Josef is executed. This enigmatic work is seen as a disturbing allegory of the human condition.