Definitions
01legal process
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Law
n. a formal meeting in a court where a judge or jury decides if someone is guilty of a crime.
n. a formal examination of evidence before a judge, and typically a jury, in order to decide guilt in a case of criminal or civil proceedings.
日本語:裁判※
“The murder trial lasted for three weeks before the jury reached a verdict.”
“The high-profile fraud trial was adjourned until Monday to allow the defense team more time to review the newly discovered financial records.”
Synonyms
02a test of quality
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a test to see how well someone or something performs before making a final decision.
n. a formal or systematic test of the performance, qualities, or suitability of someone or something.
日本語:試験※
“The company is offering a free 30-day trial of their new software.”
“Clinical trials for the new vaccine were expanded to include a broader demographic to ensure its efficacy across different age groups.”
Synonyms
03a difficult experience
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Literary
n. a person or situation that is very difficult to deal with or tests your patience.
n. a person, experience, or situation that tests a person's endurance, patience, or faith.
日本語:試練※
“Living in such a small apartment with four roommates was a real trial.”
“The long winter proved to be a severe trial for the isolated community, testing their resources and their resolve to the limit.”
04to test something
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to test a new product or way of doing things to see if it is successful.
v. to subject a product, process, or person to a series of tests to evaluate performance or suitability.
“The school is trialling a new lunch menu to see if the students like it.”
“The hospital began trialling the automated patient-monitoring system in the intensive care unit before considering a facility-wide rollout.”
05experimental
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. used for a test or for a short time to see if something works.
adj. relating to a test or done on a provisional basis to assess effectiveness.
“They are running a trial period for the new flexible working hours.”
“The trial separation allowed the couple to evaluate their relationship without the immediate pressure of divorce proceedings.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “trial” in context.
Verb
01. stand trial
“The suspect is expected to stand trial for the robbery early next year.”
verb + noun
02. await trial
“The defendant remained in custody while awaiting trial for his alleged crimes.”
verb + noun
03. conduct a clinical trial
“Researchers are conducting a clinical trial to test the effectiveness of the new vaccine.”
verb + adj + noun
Adjective
04. fair trial
“Every citizen has the right to a fair trial in a court of law.”
adj + noun
05. lengthy trial
“After a lengthy trial lasting six months, the jury finally reached a verdict.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. error by trial
“We solved the puzzle through trial and error, testing every possible combination.”
noun + prep + noun
07. trial period
“The software comes with a thirty-day trial period so you can test all the features.”
noun + noun
Preposition
08. on trial
“The new employee is currently on trial to see if he fits the company culture.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“Mangione also faces a separate state trial over Thompson's death.” “A mom is on trial for killing her children.” “I took part in a trial in Oxford in 2006 , but the jab, although safe, did not prove to be very effective.” “He also faces a separate state trial over Thompson's death.” Etymology
From Middle English trial, triall, from Anglo-Norman trial, triel, from trier (“to pick out, cull”) + -al. More at English try.
From Latin tri- (stem of trēs (“three”)) + -al, on the pattern of dual.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/trial
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0