pretrial

American  

[pree-trahy-uhl, -trahyl] / priˈtraɪ əl, -ˈtraɪl /

noun

1. a proceeding held by a judge, arbitrator, etc., before a trial to simplify the issues of law and fact and stipulate certain matters between the parties, in order to expedite justice and curtail costs at the trial.

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adjective

1. of or relating to such a proceeding.

2. done, occurring, etc., prior to a trial.

   pretrial publicity.

Etymology

Origin of pretrial

First recorded in 1935–40; pre- + trial

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pretrial

"This can't just be a project that's about replacing one set of buildings with the other. It really is about a transformational vision of our city's pretrial justice system."

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

A pretrial hearing is set for 19 October.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

A judge rejected this line of reasoning at a November hearing and did so again Monday, moving to set a Sept. 8 trial date and a Sept. 2 pretrial hearing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Yet eight months after that, the judge in his rape case issued a pretrial ruling in which she ordered prosecutors to honor the defendant’s “preferred pronouns.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

There would be a final pretrial hearing on February 2.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

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