trial

/ˈtraɪ(ə)l/

/traɪəl/

Other forms: trials

When you run a series of tests on something, it's called a trial. If you invent a computer game and want to run it through a trial before releasing it, you might hire a bunch of teenagers to play it.

A trial is also a court hearing to legally determine the result of a particular case. If your cousin is arrested for stealing her neighbor's dog, she may be put on trial. This term can also be used more generically, especially to talk about something being tried in the court of public opinion. The fate of music education is on trial in many school districts facing budget cuts.

Definitions of trial

1. noun

   the act of testing something
   “in the experimental trials the amount of carbon was measured separately”

   “he called each flip of the coin a new trial”

   synonyms: run, test

   types:

   assay

   a quantitative or qualitative test of a substance (especially an ore or a drug) to determine its components; frequently used to test for the presence or concentration of infectious agents or antibodies etc.

   clinical test, clinical trial

   a rigorously controlled test of a new drug or a new invasive medical device on human subjects; in the United States it is conducted under the direction of the FDA before being made available for general clinical use

   double blind

   a test procedure in which the identity of those receiving the intervention is concealed from both the administrators and the subjects until after the test is completed; designed to reduce or eliminate bias in the results

   preclinical phase, preclinical test, preclinical trial

   a laboratory test of a new drug or a new invasive medical device on animal subjects; conducted to gather evidence justifying a clinical trial

   audition, tryout

   a test of the suitability of a performer

   field trial

   a test of young hunting dogs to determine their skill in pointing and retrieving

   fitting, try-on, trying on

   putting clothes on to see whether they fit

   MOT, MOT test, Ministry of Transportation test

   a compulsory annual test of older motor vehicles for safety and exhaust fumes

   pilot program, pilot project

   activity planned as a test or trial

   Snellen test

   a test of visual acuity using a Snellen chart

   ELISA, enzyme-linked-immunosorbent serologic assay

   an assay that relies on an enzymatic conversion reaction and is used to detect the presence of specific substances (such as enzymes or viruses or antibodies or bacteria)

   immunohistochemistry

   an assay that shows specific antigens in tissues by the use of markers that are either fluorescent dyes or enzymes (such as horseradish peroxidase)

   phase I, phase I clinical trial

   a clinical trial on a few persons to determine the safety of a new drug or invasive medical device; for drugs, dosage or toxicity limits should be obtained

   phase II, phase II clinical trial

   a clinical trial on more persons than in phase I; intended to evaluate the efficacy of a treatment for the condition it is intended to treat; possible side effects are monitored

   phase III, phase III clinical trial

   a large clinical trial of a treatment or drug that in phase I and phase II has been shown to be efficacious with tolerable side effects; after successful conclusion of these clinical trials it will receive formal approval from the FDA

   phase IV, phase IV clinical trial

   sometimes the FDA approves a drug for general use but requires the manufacturer to continue to monitor its effects; during this phase the drug may be tried on slightly different patient populations than those studied in earlier trials

   screen test

   a filmed audition of an actor or actress

   diagnostic assay, diagnostic test

   an assay conducted for diagnostic purposes

   bio-assay, bioassay

   appraisal of the biological activity of a substance by testing its effect on an organism and comparing the result with some agreed standard

   type of:

   attempt, effort, endeavor, endeavour, try

   earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
2. noun

   trying something to find out about it
   “a sample for ten days free trial”

   “a trial of progesterone failed to relieve the pain”

   synonyms: test, trial run, tryout

   types:

   field test, field trial

   a test of the performance of some new product under the conditions in which it will be used

   alpha test

   (computer science) a first test of an experimental product (such as computer software) carried out by the developer

   beta test

   (computer science) a second test of an experimental product (such as computer software) carried out by an outside organization

   road test

   a test to insure that a vehicle is roadworthy

   trial balloon

   a test of public opinion

   test drive

   test of the roadworthiness of a vehicle one is considering buying

   type of:

   experiment, experimentation

   the testing of an idea
3. noun

   the act of undergoing testing
   “candidates must compete in a trial of skill”

   synonyms: test

   type of:

   attempt, effort, endeavor, endeavour, try

   earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
4. noun

   (law) the determination of a person's innocence or guilt by due process of law
   “he had a fair trial and the jury found him guilty”

   “most of these complaints are settled before they go to trial”

   types:

   court-martial

   a trial that is conducted by a military court

   ordeal, trial by ordeal

   a primitive method of determining a person's guilt or innocence by subjecting the accused person to dangerous or painful tests believed to be under divine control; escape was usually taken as a sign of innocence

   Scopes trial

   a highly publicized trial in 1925 when John Thomas Scopes violated a Tennessee state law by teaching evolution in high school; Scopes was prosecuted by William Jennings Bryan and defended by Clarence Darrow; Scopes was convicted but the verdict was later reversed

   show trial

   a trial held for show; the guilt of the accused person has been decided in advance

   mistrial

   a trial that is invalid or inconclusive

   retrial

   a new trial in which issues already litigated and to which the court has already rendered a verdict or decision are reexamined by the same court; occurs when the initial trial is found to have been improper or unfair due to procedural errors

   type of:

   legal proceeding, proceeding, proceedings

   (law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked
5. noun

   (sports) a preliminary competition to determine qualifications
   “the trials for the semifinals began yesterday”

   type of:

   competition, contest

   an occasion on which a winner is selected from among two or more contestants
6. noun

   an annoying or frustrating or catastrophic event
   “his mother-in-law's visits were a great trial for him”

   synonyms: tribulation, visitation

   types:

   fire

   a severe trial

   type of:

   affliction

   a cause of great suffering and distress