- trial
- noun1 in a court of lawADJECTIVE▪ fair, unfair▪
The men claim they did not receive a fair trial.
▪ full▪ criminal▪ fraud, impeachment (esp. AmE), libel, murder, rape, etc.▪public opposition to the Clinton impeachment trial in 1999
▪ court, jury▪ Crown Court, High Court (in the UK)▪ federal, state (both esp. AmE)▪ civil▪ public▪ show▪A series of show trials of former senior officials
▪ summary (esp. BrE)▪The rebels were brutally executed after summary trials.
▪ controversial, notorious, sensationalVERB + TRIAL▪ come to, face, go on, go to, stand▪He never came to trial for the robbery.
▪She died before the case came to trial.
▪A man has gone on trial accused of murdering his girlfriend.
▪ bring sb to, commit sb for (BrE), put sb on▪Four people had been arrested and committed for trial.
▪ await▪He is in prison awaiting trial on drugs charges.
▪ get▪She does not believe she got a fair trial.
▪ attend▪As a journalist he attended every murder trial of note.
▪ order▪The judge ordered a new trial on the grounds that evidence had been withheld.
▪ hold▪ adjourn (esp. BrE)▪ halt, stop▪The judge halted the trial when it emerged witnesses had been threatened.
▪ tell (BrE)▪The trial was told that death threats had been made against him.
TRIAL + VERB▪ proceed, take place▪ begin, open▪ continue, go on, resume▪ collapse (esp. BrE)▪The trial collapsed after a key witness admitted lying.
TRIAL + NOUN▪ attorney (AmE), court, judge, jury, lawyer▪ verdict▪ procedure, proceedings, process▪ date▪A trial date has been set for May 10.
PREPOSITION▪ at the trial▪More than a hundred witnesses gave evidence at the trial.
▪ during the trial▪The letters that were shown during his trial turned out to be forgeries.
▪ on trial▪She is presently on trial at the Old Bailey.
▪ without trial▪Opposition leaders had been jailed without trial.
▪ trial by▪The president faces trial by television tonight when he takes part in a live debate.
▪ trial for▪She faces trial for murder.
▪ trial over▪Three people are to stand trial over the deaths of a young couple.
2 act of testing sb/sthADJECTIVE▪ clinical, experimental, field▪If clinical trials are successful the drug could be on the market early next year.
▪ human▪Human trials of the vaccine could begin within two years.
▪ full-scale, large, large-scale▪ ongoing▪ controlled, double-blind, randomized▪ free▪There's a 30-day free trial of the software available.
▪We've got this vacuum cleaner on ten days' free trial.
▪ speed (BrE), time (both sports)▪ OlympicVERB + TRIAL▪ carry out, conduct, do, hold▪ complete▪ take part in▪ have (BrE)▪He had a trial with Chelsea when he was young.
TRIAL + VERB▪ demonstrate sth, show sth▪The trial showed a dramatic reduction in side effects.
▪ find sth▪ involve sb/sth, use sth▪a trial involving hundreds of patients
TRIAL + NOUN▪ period▪She agreed to employ me for a trial period.
▪ run▪They are treating this as a trial run for their marathon later this month.
▪ data, results▪ version▪You can download a free 30-day trial version of the software.
▪ project (esp. BrE), scheme (BrE)▪ balloon (= sth that you say to find out what people think about it before you do it) (AmE)▪The President may simply be floating a trial balloon.
▪ game (esp. BrE)▪Gates played his second trial game in midfield.
▪ separation▪The couple agreed on a trial separation.
PREPOSITION▪ on trial▪We had the machine on trial for a week.
▪ under trial (esp. BrE)▪A new stocktaking system is currently under trial in the store.
PHRASES▪ on a trial basis▪The new system will be introduced on a trial basis.
▪ trial by fire (figurative, esp. AmE)▪My first day at work was a trial by fire.
▪ trial and error▪We discovered the ideal mix of paint by trial and error.
▪ a trial of strength▪The dispute was regarded as a trial of strength by the unions.
3 experience/person that causes difficultiesADJECTIVE▪ real▪She was a real trial to her family at times.
PREPOSITION▪ trial toPHRASES▪ trials and tribulations▪the trials and tribulations of married life
Collocations dictionary. 2013.