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.
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former president Jacob Zuma, is on trial for incitement over social media posts following her father's jailing in July 2021 which sparked unrest that claimed more than 350 lives.
From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026
A former Ugandan mayor and lawyer representing detained opposition figure Kizza Besigye, who is on trial for treason, has himself been charged with a treason-related offence.
From BBC • Jun. 18, 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
Khalil and I have been on trial since he died.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
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.
