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open verdict

British

noun

a finding by a coroner's jury of death without stating the cause

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

An inquest in 1977 found Martha, 70, was unlawfully killed, and an open verdict was returned in the case of Griff Thomas who was 73.

From BBC • Oct. 17, 2025

An open verdict means that the evidence does not fully or clearly explain the cause and circumstances of death.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2024

An open verdict was recorded at an inquest last year.

From BBC • Aug. 10, 2023

Delivering an open verdict, Dr Julian Morris added: "Any death is sad. To lie undetected for in all likelihood over two years, is difficult to fathom in 2022."

From BBC • Jul. 21, 2022

Poor Grimjaw could give no witness at the inquest, however; so the jury returned an open verdict.

From Lost Sir Massingberd, v. 1/2 A Romance of Real Life by Payn, James

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023