Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A proceeding held before an official trial, especially to clarify points of law and facts.
  • adjective Existing or occurring before a trial.
  • adjective Of or relating to a pretrial.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Pertaining to a preliminary trial.
  • noun law A preliminary trial held in advance of a court trial.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun (law) a conference held before the trial begins to bring the parties together to outline discovery proceedings and to define the issues to be tried; more useful in civil than in criminal cases

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

pre- +‎ trial

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word pretrial.

Examples

  • And the reason for that visit was prompted because his immediate commander, his company commander, had placed him in what we call pretrial confinement.

    CNN Transcript Nov 25, 2009 2009

  • Under Article 10 of the UCMJ and military case law, an accused in pretrial confinement must be brought to trial with "reasonable diligence."

    David Isenberg: Ahem: About That Great Change to the UCMJ David Isenberg 2010

  • Under Article 10 of the UCMJ and military case law, an accused in pretrial confinement must be brought to trial with "reasonable diligence."

    David Isenberg: Ahem: About That Great Change to the UCMJ David Isenberg 2010

  • Several jurors said in pretrial questionnaires that they attended church.

    mjh's blog — 2005 — June 2005

  • It cited "reports of arbitrary deprivation of life, torture, impunity, poor prison conditions - particularly in pretrial detention facilities - and arbitrary arrest and detention." ...

    March 2005 2005

  • Instead, the 15- and 16-year-old Fort Myers-area girls were referred to a pretrial diversion program at the request of the victim's father.

    Kansas City Star: Front Page 2011

  • Instead, the 15- and 16-year-old Fort Myers-area girls were referred to a pretrial diversion program at the request of the victim's father.

    Kansas City Star: Front Page 2011

  • Instead, the 15- and 16-year-old Fort Myers-area girls were referred to a pretrial diversion program at the request of the victim's father.

    The Seattle Times 2011

  • discovery This refers to the pretrial fact-finding stage of civil lawsuits.

    Essential Guide to Business Style and Usage PAUL R. MARTIN 2002

  • discovery This refers to the pretrial fact-finding stage of civil lawsuits.

    Essential Guide to Business Style and Usage PAUL R. MARTIN 2002

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.