true bill

noun

: a bill of indictment endorsed by a grand jury as warranting prosecution of the accused

Examples of true bill 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.
In June, a grand jury returned no true bill, meaning he was not indicted and his criminal case was subsequently dismissed. — Rachel Smith, The Courier-Journal, 25 Jan. 2024 In a Wednesday release, Commonwealth's Attorney Gerina Whethers said a grand jury examining the case had returned a no true bill, meaning not enough evidence was found to put forward criminal charges against a defendant. — Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 21 June 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of true bill was in 1616

Rhymes for true bill

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true believer
true bill
true-blue
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Cite this Entry

“True bill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/true%20bill. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

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Legal Definition

true bill

see bill sense 3b

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