pretrial

American

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

noun

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.

adjective

of or relating to such a proceeding.
done, occurring, etc., prior to a trial.

pretrial publicity.

Etymology

Origin of pretrial

First recorded in 1935–40; pre- + trial

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.

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 pretrial hearing is slated for Sept. 15, a day after his 33rd birthday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

Instead, the pretrial this month resurfaced the schisms.

From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026

When the court scheduled a hearing in October 1987 on pretrial motions in Walter's case, Chestnut and Boynton showed up with no expectation that any of their motions would be granted.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

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