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Synonyms

trial court

American  

noun

  1. the court in which a controversy is first adjudicated (distinguished from 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.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court had earlier cancelled her anticipatory bail, finding that a trial court had ignored key evidence and witness testimony.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

Kavanaugh’s opinion was short because the analysis was fairly simple: Batson requires a three-step process, yet the Mississippi trial court allowed only two.

From Slate • May 28, 2026

"Both the State and Murdaugh's defense skillfully presented their cases to the jury as the trial court deftly presided over this complicated and high-profile matter," the justices wrote.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

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

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

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