pretrial

American

[pree-trahy-uhl, -trahyl] / priˈtraɪ əl, -ˈtraɪl /

noun

a proceeding held by a judge, arbitrator, etc., before a trial to simplify the issues of law and fact and stipulate certain matters between the parties, in order to expedite justice and curtail costs at the trial.

adjective

of or relating to such a proceeding.
done, occurring, etc., prior to a trial.

pretrial publicity.

Etymology

Origin of pretrial

First recorded in 1935–40; pre- + trial

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.

Gee cited “an ongoing violation of Zambrano’s right to pretrial release.”

From Los Angeles Times

During a pretrial conference Thursday, the judge said at one point that it would be improper for the jury to consider what she would have earned had she stayed at Centerview beyond the three-year program.

From The Wall Street Journal

Early last year, prison officials transferred Hernández out of the federal detention center in Brooklyn, which largely holds pretrial detainees, and sent him to the high-security Hazelton penitentiary in West Virginia.

From Salon

A pretrial hearing was set for April 1.

From Los Angeles Times

However, it wasn’t immediately clear if he ever took part in such a program, as the judge denied the request for pretrial release.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023