trial
8 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
trials
plural
trials
Britannica Dictionary definition of TRIAL
1
:
a formal meeting in a court in which evidence about crimes, disagreements, etc., is presented to a judge and often a jury so that decisions can be made according to the law
[count]
-
civil/criminal trials
-
a murder trial
-
He did not get/have/receive a fair trial.
-
a trial by jury = a jury trial
-
He testified at the trial.
[noncount]
-
He testified at trial.
-
She is awaiting trial on charges of assault.
-
She will stand/face trial [=be tried] for murder. [=there will be a trial to decide if she is guilty of murder]
-
He was arrested but not brought to trial. [=tried; there was never a trial to decide if he was guilty or innocent]
-
The case never came to trial. [=there was never a trial to make a decision about the case]
2
[count]
a
:
a test of the quality, value, or usefulness of something
-
Early trials have shown that the treatment has some serious side effects.
-
a clinical trial [=a test in which scientists study how a drug, medical device, etc., affects a group of people in order to see if it is safe and effective]
b
:
a test of someone's ability to do something that is used to see if he or she should join a team, perform in a play, etc.
-
the Olympic trials
-
(Brit) He was cut from the team after the first trial. [=(US) tryout]
3
[count]
a
:
something (such as a difficult situation or task) that shows how patient, strong, or trusting you are
-
Recovering from her injury was a real trial of strength.
b
:
something or someone that is difficult to deal with
:
an annoying or unpleasant thing or person
-
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.
-
The book describes the trials and tribulations [=difficult experiences, problems, etc.] of the colony's earliest settlers.
4
[count]
:
an event at which animals compete and perform
on trial
:
in a situation in which evidence against you is presented in a court to a judge and often a jury to decide if you are guilty of a crime
— sometimes used figuratively
-
He is on trial [=being tried] for murder.
-
She was on trial on charges of drug possession. = She went on trial for possession of drugs.
-
The controversial case has put the entire health-care system on trial. [=has caused people to think about the health-care system in a critical way]
trial and error
:
a process in which you find out the best way to solve a problem, do something, etc., by trying different ways until one is successful
-
We often learn by/through trial and error.
2
trial
/ˈtrajəl/
adjective
2
trial
/ˈtrajəl/
adjective
Britannica Dictionary definition of TRIAL
always used before a noun
:
relating to or used in a test that is done for a period of time to see if something is worth buying, using, etc.
-
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.
-
I'm using the product on a trial basis. [=for a short period of time]
3
trial
/ˈtrajəl/
verb
trials;
trialled;
trialling
3
trial
/ˈtrajəl/
verb
trials;
trialled;
trialling
Britannica Dictionary definition of TRIAL
[+ object]
British
:
to test the quality, value, or usefulness of (something)
-
Companies are trialling the new accounting software.
