(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"
(sports) a preliminary competition to determine qualifications
"the trials for the semifinals began yesterday"
an annoying or frustrating or catastrophic event
"his mother-in-law's visits were a great trial for him"
"life is full of tribulations"
"a visitation of the plague"
An opportunity to test something out; a test.
"The store offers a free trial of their new streaming service so you can check if it works for your household before committing to a subscription."
In plain English: A trial is an official court hearing where evidence is presented to decide if someone is guilty of a crime.
"The trial of the new software program revealed several bugs that needed to be fixed."
To carry out a series of tests on (a new product, procedure etc.) before marketing or implementing it.
"The engineering team spent three months running extensive trials on the new battery prototype before launching it to consumers."
In plain English: To try something out to see how it works or what it's like.
"The judge will hold a trial to decide if the defendant is guilty."
Pertaining to a trial or test.
"The trial balance sheet consists of assets, liabilities, and equity, making it a document characterized by having three equivalent components."
Characterized by having three (usually equivalent) components.
In plain English: Trial means something that is likely to fail or not work out well.
"The trial run of the new engine went smoothly."
Usage: Use this adjective before nouns like "run," "period," or "balance" to describe something being tested, rather than using it as a noun where you would say "a trial." It is often confused with the similar-sounding word "trial" (noun), but here it functions strictly as an attribute modifying another object.
The word trial comes from the Old French term for "a picker" or "one who selects," which originally referred to a person chosen to sift through grain and remove chaff. Over time, this sense of selecting or testing evolved into its modern meaning in English.