First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
1trial
noun tri·al \ˈtrī(-ə)l\
: 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
: a test of the quality, value, or usefulness of something
: 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.
Full Definition of TRIAL
1
a : the action or process of trying or putting to the proof : test b : a preliminary contest (as in a sport)
2
: the formal examination before a competent tribunal of the matter in issue in a civil or criminal cause in order to determine such issue
3
: a test of faith, patience, or stamina through subjection to suffering or temptation; broadly : a source of vexation or annoyance
4
a : a tryout or experiment to test quality, value, or usefulness — compare clinical trial b : one of a number of repetitions of an experiment
5
: attempt
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Origin of TRIAL
Anglo-French, from trier to try
2trial
adjective
: relating to or used in a test that is done for a period of time to see if something is worth buying, using, etc.
Full Definition of TRIAL
1
: of, relating to, or used in a trial
2
: made or done as a test or experiment
3
: used or tried out in a test or experiment
See trial defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of TRIAL
1555
Related to TRIAL
- Synonyms
- developmental, pilot, experimental
TRIAL Defined for Kids
trial
noun tri·al \ˈtrī-əl\
Definition of TRIAL for Kids
1
: the hearing and judgment of something in court
2
: a test of someone's ability to do or endure something
3
: an experiment to test quality, value, or usefulness
4
: the action or process of trying or testing
Medical Dictionary
trial
noun tri·al \ˈtrī(-ə)l\
Medical Definition of TRIAL
1
: a tryout or experiment to test quality, value, or usefulness—see clinical trial
2
: one of a number of repetitions of an experiment
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