on trial

idiom

: in a situation in which evidence against one is presented in a court to a judge and often a jury to decide if one is guilty of a crime
on trial for murder
She went on trial for possession of drugs.
sometimes used figuratively to indicate that people will think about something in a critical way
The controversial case has put the entire health care system on trial.

Examples of on trial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After all, this son of ornery Nevada ranching patriarch and fellow armed stand-off artist Cliven Bundy applied, while on trial in Oregon, for the right of he and his posse to present from their cells in culturally and personally appropriate clothing. Matt Thompson, SPIN, 5 Nov. 2024 Among the six others on trial in Paris alongside Chnina and Sefrioui are two associates of Paty’s killer, Abdullakh Anzorov. Reuters, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024 Candace Craig, 46, is on trial this week on allegations of murder in connection with the death of her mother, 71-year-old Margaret Craig, whose remains were discovered by police in trash bags in the basement of her Hyattsville home in May 2023, WUSA9 reported. Christine Pelisek, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024 Alongside Thug, two other defendants in the case remain on trial. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for on trial 

Dictionary Entries Near on trial

Cite this Entry

“On trial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20trial. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!