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:
Remember, Reddington seemed to think that, but for this lone juror, the verdict would have been in his client’s favor.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026
Jurors told the judge twice before that they were unable to reach a verdict, but were instructed to keep deliberating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
“We hope this verdict brings a measure of closure to the victims’ loved ones and the Diamond Bar community,” Dist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
However, the verdict does not fully address the multiple effects of a series of pit-lane speeding penalties.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
They could be deciding Caleb’s verdict right now, as I tie my shoes, as I straighten my sheets for the fourth time today.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
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 amount the city pays each year in settlements and jury verdicts has skyrocketed, from $64 million about a decade ago to $289 million last year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
Dott's lawyer, Euan Dow, said emotions in such cases were natural, and urged jurors to not to decide the verdicts on "hunches" or "suspicions".
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Since 1976, judges in Alabama have overridden jury sentencing verdicts in capital cases 111 times.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
