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Synonyms

trial court

American  

noun

  1. the court in which a controversy is first adjudicated (appellate division ).

trial court British  

noun

  1. law the first court before which the facts of a case are decided

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of trial court

First recorded in 1885–90

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.

He wanted to convince the justices that this was not merely a preservation dispute but a case in which the trial court had fundamentally failed to carry out Batson’s third step.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

James Boasberg, who leads Washington’s federal trial court, is no stranger to clashes with the administration.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

The problems in the case in Andhra Pradesh arose in August last year when a junior civil judge in the trial court in Vijaywada city passed an order in a case about a disputed property.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

The ruling didn’t affect the October 2023 election board measure, which hadn’t been implemented, blocked by a separate trial court decision.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025

An Osage man in his seventies with expressive gray eyebrows and a deliberate manner, he served as the chief trial court judge.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.