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
Trump is on trial for 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
—
Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 11 May 2024
Meanwhile, Trump is on trial in Manhattan for over 34 felony counts of falsified business records.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 10 May 2024
Trump is on trial for allegedly falsifying business records to hide the reimbursement of a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 election.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 7 May 2024
Apple earnings, Big Tech layoffs, and Google on trial: This week in tech
Plus, Bill Gates remains a quiet Microsoft power broker
Start Slideshow
This week was a mixed bag for the tech industry.
—Laura Bratton, Quartz, 3 May 2024
The 11 Italian immigrants in Milwaukee on trial in 1917 after two people were killed in a chaotic melee in Bay View have no one to tell their stories — not even their defense attorney, who never spoke to them individually.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 2 May 2024
Ed Sheeran is on trial, accused of borrowing from Marvin Gaye.
—Ben Sisario, New York Times, 2 May 2024
The political leadership of the group on trial, led by real estate investor Heinrich XIII Prinz Reuss — scion of a now throneless dynasty — appear in court in Frankfurt next month, while another group of suspects including an astrologer stand trial in June in Munich.
—Reuters, NBC News, 29 Apr. 2024
Aidala claimed these decisions by Burke meant Weinstein's character was on trial, rather than the allegations at hand.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 26 Apr. 2024
Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 11 May 2024
Meanwhile, Trump is on trial in Manhattan for over 34 felony counts of falsified business records.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 10 May 2024
Trump is on trial for allegedly falsifying business records to hide the reimbursement of a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 election.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 7 May 2024
Apple earnings, Big Tech layoffs, and Google on trial: This week in tech
Plus, Bill Gates remains a quiet Microsoft power broker
Start Slideshow
This week was a mixed bag for the tech industry.
—Laura Bratton, Quartz, 3 May 2024
The 11 Italian immigrants in Milwaukee on trial in 1917 after two people were killed in a chaotic melee in Bay View have no one to tell their stories — not even their defense attorney, who never spoke to them individually.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 2 May 2024
Ed Sheeran is on trial, accused of borrowing from Marvin Gaye.
—Ben Sisario, New York Times, 2 May 2024
The political leadership of the group on trial, led by real estate investor Heinrich XIII Prinz Reuss — scion of a now throneless dynasty — appear in court in Frankfurt next month, while another group of suspects including an astrologer stand trial in June in Munich.
—Reuters, NBC News, 29 Apr. 2024
Aidala claimed these decisions by Burke meant Weinstein's character was on trial, rather than the allegations at hand.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 26 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on trial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 17 May. 2024.
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