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

Instructing the jury last month, the coroner told them there were five verdicts open - accidental death, death by misadventure, unlawful killing, an open verdict or a narrative verdict.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2024

An initial inquest had been held in 1973 and recorded an open verdict.

From BBC • Sep. 26, 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

Creighton could see that his face was haggard and bore lines of worry—and he could see that an unmistakable look of relief came into his eyes as the jury returned its open verdict.

From The Monk of Hambleton by Livingston, Armstrong

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