trial
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
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.
Simple“The murder trial lasted for three weeks before the jury reached a verdict.”
In context“The high-profile fraud trial was adjourned until Monday to allow the defense team more time to review the newly discovered financial records.”
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
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.
Simple“The company is offering a free 30-day trial of their new software.”
In context“Clinical trials for the new vaccine were expanded to include a broader demographic to ensure its efficacy across different age groups.”
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
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.
Simple“Living in such a small apartment with four roommates was a real trial.”
In context“The long winter proved to be a severe trial for the isolated community, testing their resources and their resolve to the limit.”
- 04 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.
Simple“The school is trialling a new lunch menu to see if the students like it.”
In context“The hospital began trialling the automated patient-monitoring system in the intensive care unit before considering a facility-wide rollout.”
- 05 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.
Simple“They are running a trial period for the new flexible working hours.”
In context“The trial separation allowed the couple to evaluate their relationship without the immediate pressure of divorce proceedings.”
Synonyms
Usage trial before judge · trial lawyer · trial updates
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.