What does retrial mean?
Retrial means a second trial or attempt, most often referring to a legal case that is heard again by a court. A retrial may be ordered when the original proceedings involved a serious legal error, unfairness, misconduct, or other circumstances that could have affected the result. It can also mean another attempt at a task, although in ordinary legal usage the word usually concerns a second court proceeding rather than simply repeating a failed attempt. The term is commonly paired with phrases such as order a retrial, request a retrial, and grant a retrial. Retrial should not be confused with retry: a retry describes the act of trying again, while a retrial is more specifically a second formal proceeding or hearing. The word is most often encountered in news reports and legal documents discussing appeals, court decisions, and new evidence.
nounA second trial of a person or case, especially one ordered by a court after an earlier trial has been found legally invalid or its proceedings have been seriously flawed. The word can also refer more broadly to the act of trying something again.
- A second trial of a case, especially one ordered by a court after the original trial is deemed invalid or unfair.
- The act of trying or attempting something again.
"The court ordered a retrial after new evidence emerged during the original proceedings."
"The defendant sought a retrial, arguing that serious procedural errors had affected the first proceedings."
"After the system failed, the company had to schedule a retrial of the upload process."
The plural is retrials, used for separate second trials or repeated proceedings.
"Several retrials were scheduled after the court found errors in the original proceedings."
A retrial gives a case a second chance to be heard, often because the first proceeding was flawed or new evidence has emerged.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does retrial come from?
Retrial was formed in English by combining the prefix re-, meaning again, with trial. Trial itself comes through Old French trier, from a Latin word associated with examining or testing. The older English form trial developed from a Middle English word meaning an examination, testing, or attempt, while modern retrial developed as a legal and general term for another trial or attempt.
How retrial is actually used
In legal contexts, retrial is most commonly used for a new court trial following a legally significant error or irregularity. In general use, it means another attempt, but this broader sense is less common than the legal one.
Easily confused with retrial
A retrial is generally a second formal court proceeding, whereas to retry something is to attempt it again, often after a failure or delay.
A retrial begins a new trial, while a rehearing may reconsider evidence or issues without necessarily creating a completely new trial.