# verdict

/ˈvɝdɪkt/ (US) · /vˈɜːdɪkt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/verdict
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. legal decision

noun · CEFR B2

the official decision made by a jury at the end of a trial to say if someone is guilty or not.

For teachers: the formal finding of fact made by a jury on matters or questions submitted to them during a trial.

- The jury took three days to reach a verdict of not guilty.
- After deliberating for nearly forty-eight hours, the jury returned a unanimous verdict, bringing the high-profile murder trial to a dramatic conclusion.

Usage: Commonly used with the verbs 'reach', 'return', or 'deliver'.

### 2. opinion or judgement

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

your final opinion or decision about something after you have tried it or thought about it.

For teachers: a subjective but definitive judgement or opinion expressed after a period of consideration or testing.

- What is your verdict on the new restaurant in town?
- The critics' final verdict on the film was surprisingly harsh, despite the director's previous successes in the same genre.

Teaching tip: While this sense is formal, it is frequently used in a slightly playful or dramatic way in everyday conversation when asking for an opinion.

## Examples

- The jury reached a verdict after three days of talking.
- After testing the new software for a week, the team's final verdict was that it was too slow for daily use.
- The judge reminded the jurors that their verdict must be based solely on the evidence presented in court, rather than on personal bias or media reports.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.