pretrial

adjective

pre·​tri·​al ˌprē-ˈtrī(-ə)l How to pronounce pretrial (audio)
variants or pre-trial
: occurring or existing before a trial
a pretrial hearing

Examples of pretrial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Assistant District Attorney Jason Judd asserted at a pretrial conference that the expert would be material, or critical, at trial and that representatives of the state had met in person with the expert. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2026 Prosecutors requested that he be detained pretrial, but Judge Joshua Dieden granted him pretrial release. — Susan Sarkauskas, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026 At the time of the attack, Jenkins was on pretrial release, accused of hitting a CTA bus driver in August. — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026 After six years of pretrial litigation, Dooley ordered the case to proceed to trial by rejecting summary judgement motions from both sides. — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pretrial

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pretrial was in 1894

Rhymes for pretrial

See All Rhymes for pretrial

Browse Nearby Words

pretreatment
pretrial
pretrimmed
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Cite this Entry

“Pretrial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretrial. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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Legal Definition

pretrial

adjective
pre·​tri·​al
ˌprē-ˈtrī-əl
: existing or occurring before trial
a pretrial motion
a pretrial detainee
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