on trial
Idioms-
In the process of being tried, especially in a court of law. For example, He would be put on trial for the murder of his wife . [Early 1700s]
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As a test of something, on probation, as in They said we could take the vacuum cleaner on trial and return it if it was too noisy . [Early 1700s]
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.
Turkish government officials say the mayor is on trial for corruption charges, which he denies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 4, 2026
The defendants on trial in France have been charged with criminal conspiracy and intent to commit an offence, while some of them are also charged with theft of an exhibited cultural object.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
Before he won the presidency, Mr. Lee was on trial for allegedly funneling $8 million in secret funds to the North.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
Also, a judge has been investigating the business affairs of the prime minister's wife, Begoña Gómez, since 2024, and has proposed she go on trial for misuse of funds and influence peddling.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
After months in the KGB prison, including seventy days in solitary confinement, Powers learned that the Soviet government intended to put him on trial for espionage.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
