mistrial

noun

mis·​tri·​al ˈmis-ˌtrī(-ə)l How to pronounce mistrial (audio)
: a trial that has no legal effect with regard to one or more of the charges brought against the defendant because of some serious error or prejudicial misconduct in the proceedings or a hung jury

Examples of mistrial in a Sentence

The judge declared a mistrial.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His federal trial in June ended in a mistrial after nearly 13 hours of deliberations, with jurors split 10 in favor of not guilty and two in favor of guilty, unable to come to a unanimous decision. — Sierra Van Der Brug, Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026 However, the trial ended in a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict. — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026 The mistrial occurred after a juror experienced a medical emergency, according to Lake County Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Myrna Maldonado. — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026 Prosecutors this week unveiled a new indictment against the man accused of igniting last year’s deadly fire in the Palisades, nixing one of the three original charges and revising the other two after a mistrial in federal court this summer. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mistrial

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mistrial was in 1628

Rhymes for mistrial

See All Rhymes for mistrial

Browse Nearby Words

mistress-ship
mistrial
mistrust
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mistrial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mistrial. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

mistrial

noun
mis·​tri·​al ˈmis-ˌtrī(-ə)l How to pronounce mistrial (audio)
: a trial that is cancelled because of an error in the proceedings

Legal Definition

mistrial

noun
mis·​tri·​al ˈmis-ˌtrī-əl How to pronounce mistrial (audio)
: a trial that terminates without a verdict because of error, necessity, prejudicial misconduct, or a hung jury see also manifest necessity compare dismissal sense 2, trial de novo

More from Merriam-Webster on mistrial

Nglish: Translation of mistrial for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mistrial

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