Definitions for: Trial


[n] the act of testing something; "in the experimental trials the amount of carbon was measured separately"; "he called each flip of the coin a new trial"
[n] the act of undergoing testing; "he survived the great test of battle"; "candidates must compete in a trial of skill"
[n] (law) legal proceedings consisting of the judicial examination of issues by a competent tribunal; "most of these complaints are settled before they go to trial"
[n] (law) the determination of a person's innocence or guilt by due process of law; "he had a fair trial and the jury found him guilty"
[n] trying something to find out about it; "a sample for ten days free trial"; "a trial of progesterone failed to relieve the pain"
[n] an annoying or frustrating or catastrophic event; "his mother-in-law's visits were a great trial for him"; "life is full of tribulations"; "a visitation of the plague"
[n] (sports) a preliminary competition to determine qualifications; "the trials for the semifinals began yesterday"



Webster (1913) Definition: Tri"al, n. [From Try.]
1. The act of trying or testing in any manner. Specifically:

(a) Any effort or exertion of strength for the purpose of
ascertaining what can be done or effected.

[I] defy thee to the trial of mortal fight.
--Milton.
(b) The act of testing by experience; proof; test.

Repeated trials of the issues and events of
actions. --Bp. Wilkins.
(c) Examination by a test; experiment, as in chemistry,
metallurgy, etc.

2. The state of being tried or tempted; exposure to suffering
that tests strength, patience, faith, or the like;
affliction or temptation that exercises and proves the
graces or virtues of men.

Others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings.
--Heb. xi. 36.

3. That which tries or afflicts; that which harasses; that
which tries the character or principles; that which tempts
to evil; as, his child's conduct was a sore trial.

Every station is exposed to some trials. --Rogers.

4. (Law) The formal examination of the matter in issue in a
cause before a competent tribunal; the mode of determining
a question of fact in a court of law; the examination, in
legal form, of the facts in issue in a cause pending
before a competent tribunal, for the purpose of
determining such issue.

Syn: Test; attempt; endeavor; effort; experiment; proof;
essay. See Test, and Attempt.

Synonyms: run, test, test, trial run, tribulation, tryout, visitation

See Also: affliction, alpha test, attempt, audition, beta test, clinical test, clinical trial, competition, contest, court-martial, defence, defense, demurrer, denial, effort, endeavor, endeavour, experiment, experimentation, field trial, fire, fitting, legal proceeding, Ministry of Transportation test, mistrial, MOT, MOT test, pilot program, pilot project, plea, preclinical phase, preclinical test, preclinical trial, proceeding, proceedings, prosecution, retrial, road test, Scopes trial, show trial, trial balloon, try, trying on, try-on, tryout

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