trial
/ˈtɹaɪəl/ noun, adjective, verb
Forms trials trialing trialling trialed trialled
- noun An occasion on which a person or thing is tested to find out how well they perform or how suitable they are.
- noun The testing of a product or procedure. “They will perform the trials for the new equipment next week.”
- noun (medicine, sciences, research) A research study to test the effectiveness and safety of a drug, medical procedure, etc. “A randomized, controlled trial (RCT).”
- noun An event in which athletes’ or animals’ abilities are tested as they compete for a place on a team, or to move on to the next level of a championship, for example. “soccer trials; sheepdog trials”
- noun (ceramics) A piece of ware used to test the heat of a kiln.
- noun (UK) An internal examination set by Eton College.
- noun (archaic) An occasion on which armies or individuals meet in combat.
- noun (law) A meeting or series of meetings in a court of law at which evidence is presented to a judge (and sometimes a jury) to allow them to decide on a legal matter (especially whether an accused person is guilty of a crime). “If you are convicted at trial, you have the right to file an appeal.”
- adjective Pertaining to a trial or test.
- adjective Attempted on a provisional or experimental basis.
- verb (transitive) To carry out a series of tests on (a new product, procedure etc.) before marketing or implementing it. “The warning system was extensively trialed before being fitted to all our vehicles.”
- verb (transitive) To try out (a new player) in a sports team. “The team trialled a new young goalkeeper in Saturday's match, with mixed results.”
- adjective Characterized by having three (usually equivalent) components.
- adjective Triple.
- adjective (grammar) Pertaining to a language form referring to three of something, like people. (See Ambai language for an example.) “No language has a trial number unless it has a dual.”
- noun (grammar) The trial number.
Synonyms
test clinical trial court case attempt try run trial run tryout tribulation visitation
Etymology
From Middle English trial, triall, from Anglo-Norman trial, triel, from trier (“to pick out, cull”) + -al. More at English try.
From Latin tri- (stem of trēs (“three”)) + -al, on the pattern of dual.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The act of trying or testing in any manner. Specifically: -- (a) Any effort or exertion of strength for the purpose of ascertaining what can be done or effected.
- noun The state of being tried or tempted; exposure to suffering that tests strength, patience, faith, or the like; affliction or temptation that exercises and proves the graces or virtues of men. Others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings. Heb. xi. 36.
Etymology [From Try.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “trial”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details