noun
plural -als
a formal meeting in a court in which evidence about crimes, disagreements, etc., is presented to a judge and often a jury so that decisions can be made according to the law [count]
[count] a test of the quality, value, or usefulness of something
a test of someone's ability to do something that is used to see if he or she should join a team, perform in a play, etc.
[count] something (such as a difficult situation or task) that shows how patient, strong, or trusting you are
something or someone that is difficult to deal with :an annoying or unpleasant thing or person
[count] :an event at which animals compete and perform
on trial
in a situation in which evidence against you is presented in a court to a judge and often a jury to decide if you are guilty of a crime
trial and error
a process in which you find out the best way to solve a problem, do something, etc., by trying different ways until one is successful
adjective
always used before a noun
relating to or used in a test that is done for a period of time to see if something is worth buying, using, etc.
verb
-als; -alled; -alling
[+ obj] Brit :to test the quality, value, or usefulness of (something)
US