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 wayThe controversial case has put the entire health care system on trial.
Examples of on trial in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After accusing Tassi of rape, Artemisia finds herself at the center of a sensational trial that shakes Rome and puts her very character on trial.
—
Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Two other men were on trial over the arson and related plots.
—Emma Burrows, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
More than a year after a 19-year-old college student's murder shocked Milwaukee and prompted waves of outcry, the man accused of killing her is finally on trial.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 3 July 2025
Jared Wise was on trial when he was pardoned as part of President Donald Trump's sweeping series of pardons and commutations for nearly all of the more than 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the Capitol attack.
—Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for on trial
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Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Two other men were on trial over the arson and related plots.
—Emma Burrows, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
More than a year after a 19-year-old college student's murder shocked Milwaukee and prompted waves of outcry, the man accused of killing her is finally on trial.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 3 July 2025
Jared Wise was on trial when he was pardoned as part of President Donald Trump's sweeping series of pardons and commutations for nearly all of the more than 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the Capitol attack.
—Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for on trial
Cite this Entry
“On trial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20trial. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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