show trial

American  

noun

1. (especially in a totalitarian state) the public trial of a political offender conducted chiefly for propagandistic purposes, as to suppress further dissent against the government by making an example of the accused.

---

show trial British  

noun

1. a trial conducted primarily to make a particular impression on the public or on other nations, esp one that demonstrates the power of the state over the individual

---

Etymology

Origin of show trial

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

show trial

Jones, for his part, slammed the proceedings as a "show trial" run by a "tyrant" judge and argued he was not to blame for the actions of his followers.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2022

“I think it’s going to be a little bit of a show trial for him,” said Weinstein, now a criminal defense lawyer in New Jersey.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 1, 2022

At a show trial he was sentenced to prison for a nonexistent parole violation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2021

He called the court proceedings under Kaplan "a Dickensian farce" and a "show trial."

From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2020

Nobody, though, escapes the Inquisition, and once a full show trial had begun, the only conceivable verdict was to find Galileo guilty of something and punish him as a warning to others.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin