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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of show trial

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

show trial

He said that survivors' "impressions of a show trial with no real outcome, with no-one being punished, was right".

From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2025

"She endured mistreatment and a show trial in Russia with characteristic grit and incredible dignity."

From Salon ● Dec. 8, 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

The secret police wanted Shostakovich to answer questions about his friendship with Marshal Tukhachevsky, formerly head of the Red Army, who was being set up for a show trial.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall