mistrial

American  

[mis-trahy-uhl, -trahyl] / mɪsˈtraɪ əl, -ˈtraɪl /

noun

Law.

• mistrials
  plural

1. a trial terminated without conclusion on the merits of the case because of some error in the proceedings.

2. an inconclusive trial, as where the jury cannot agree.

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mistrial British  

/ mɪsˈtraɪəl /

noun

1. a trial made void because of some error, such as a defect in procedure

2. (in the US) an inconclusive trial, as when a jury cannot agree on a verdict

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mistrials
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of mistrial

First recorded in 1620–30; mis- ¹ + trial

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Explanation

When a judge cancels a trial, she declares a mistrial. In other words, she decides that some mistake has been made and the trial must begin again from the start, with a new jury. There are several reasons that a judge might declare a mistrial, including a hung jury, which is when the jury can't come to a unanimous decision. There might also be misconduct by an attorney, or improperly introduced evidence. A mistrial usually means having to start all over again. The noun mistrial begins with the prefix mis-, which comes from Old English and means "bad or wrong."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mistrial mistrials

Masterson first went to trial in 2022, but jurors failed to reach a verdict on any of the three counts, leading the case to end in a mistrial.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

Since a deadlocked jury forced a mistrial in early September, more than $500,000 in additional bets have been placed on whether the Massachusetts woman accused of killing her children will eventually be convicted.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

Clancy pleaded not guilty, and her trial recently ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury.

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026

A jury of nine women and three men was this month unable to reach a unanimous decision, as required in criminal proceedings in the United States, leading to a mistrial.

From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026

Two full days, and the words unable to reach a verdict and mistrial and later date are still bouncing around in Jus’s head.

From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone

Pollack has also secured the acquittal of a former Enron executive and won back-to-back mistrials for a chicken company executive accused of price fixing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026

The first trial, which featured separate juries for each brother, ended in mistrials.

From BBC ● Jan. 17, 2025

Since mistrials, though sometimes frequently requested at trials, are rarely granted, Tacopina was more likely hoping the judge would grant a version of his alternative requests.

From Seattle Times ● May 1, 2023

The first prosecution, which began in 1993, ended with two hung juries and mistrials.

From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2023

It was the third trial, after two earlier mistrials.

From Reuters ● Oct. 16, 2022

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