verdict
Americannoun
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verdicts
plural
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Law. the finding or answer of a jury given to the court concerning a matter submitted to their judgment.
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a judgment; decision.
the verdict of the critics.
noun
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the findings of a jury on the issues of fact submitted to it for examination and trial; judgment
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any decision, judgment, or conclusion
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of verdict
1250–1300; Middle English < Medieval Latin vērdictum, variant of vērēdictum literally, something said truly; replacing Middle English verdit < Anglo-French < Latin vērum dictum true word
Explanation
A verdict is a decision made after a lot of considering, usually made by the jury in a courtroom. If you've finally decided that the test was unfair, that's your verdict and you should talk to the teacher about it. Although verdicts are usually announced in a courtroom, any time someone makes a judgment about something, it's a verdict. The truth lies in the root of this word: ver comes from the Latin verus, meaning "true." Ver shows up in other words — to verify something is to prove that it's true, and veracious is an adjective meaning "truthful." And the truth is exactly what the judge needs when he's trying to decide the verdict of a case.
Vocabulary lists containing verdict
You Can Say That Again: Dic and Dict
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Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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And Then There Were None
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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.
See Examples For:
In recent days, thousands gathered in the capital, Pristina, to rally behind Thaci ahead of the verdict.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Many watched the verdict live Wednesday on a screen in a square in the capital, Pristina, where a countdown clock had been ticking down to the ruling for days.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
The nine members - seven men and two women - had 10 questions to answer and delivered a unanimous verdict, as required by the coroners' court.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
But it came more than two months after the inquest was dramatically adjourned in the early hours after three days of deliberations did not lead to a verdict.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
My words spilled out of my mouth at a breathless pace, and we all clenched our fists and waited for the sky god’s verdict.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald warned the gallery to “maintain decorum,” stating that the verdicts would be a “moment of either joy or grief.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
Despite the verdicts, he is still hailed as a hero by some Serbs, particularly in Republika Srpska, where his death was marked with vigils and gatherings.
From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026
She has won about 60 cases and lost four jury verdicts, two of which were set aside and one settled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
The impact on public schools—from verdicts, settlements and retroactive insurance premiums—is approaching $4 billion, said Michael Fine, chief executive of a state task force that advises school districts on fiscal issues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
The court bailiff carried the sealed verdicts to the bench.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
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.
