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:
Meta is appealing the verdict, but thousands of such claims loom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Her lawyers have said the verdict "represents an important measure of accountability and justice".
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
"The verdict reflects the magnitude of the sacrifices we made, the sacrifices of the martyrs, the suffering and pain of the victims, the missing, and the detainees," she told the BBC.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Whatever the verdict is, it is unlikely to satisfy those close to Shakur.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
It is the best gift she can think to give him, if they are unable to force a verdict from either of their instructors.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
A "fundamental irregularity" also took place while the jury was sequestered that "fatally undermined the integrity of the verdicts", he argued, without giving further details.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
That decision made Brooks eligible for up to $480,000 under a program created by Louisiana lawmakers to pay those wrongfully convicted in a state with one of the highest rates of overturned guilty verdicts.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
Desborough stood to listen to the verdicts with his hands behind his back.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
The document sets out in detail the grounds on which he will attempt to have all 18 guilty verdicts set aside.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 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.
