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
Last week, it was reported that three men were on trial for stealing and later selling a $6 million (£4.8 million) 18-carat-gold toilet created by artist Maurizio Cattelan from a U.K. county house.
—
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2025
Rosario is on trial for obstruction and lying to an FBI agent.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2025
Decker and Kelly were on trial for the 2024 fatal shooting of Roberto Gonzalez-Lamas, who was killed in Antioch during a confrontational meeting over a recent burglary.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2025
The singer has been in court to support her partner, ASAP Rocky, who was on trial for two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
—Robyn Merrett, StyleCaster, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on trial
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.
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2025
Rosario is on trial for obstruction and lying to an FBI agent.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2025
Decker and Kelly were on trial for the 2024 fatal shooting of Roberto Gonzalez-Lamas, who was killed in Antioch during a confrontational meeting over a recent burglary.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2025
The singer has been in court to support her partner, ASAP Rocky, who was on trial for two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
—Robyn Merrett, StyleCaster, 19 Feb. 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 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share