What does verdict mean?
A verdict is a final decision or judgment, especially one formally returned by a jury in a court of law. The word commonly appears in expressions such as “reach a verdict,” “return a verdict,” and “guilty verdict.” In legal contexts, it denotes the outcome of a trial and may establish whether a defendant is guilty or not guilty, or whether liability has been established in a civil case. Outside the law, the meaning broadens to any clear conclusion reached after examining a subject carefully. A verdict therefore tends to sound authoritative and final, although using it does not necessarily mean that a conclusion is correct. It is especially useful when describing a decision that follows careful assessment, formal reasoning, or the weighing of evidence. The word can be both literal, referring to a jury's decision, and figurative, referring to a decisive opinion on a disputed question.
nounA formal decision, especially one returned by a jury in a court of law. More broadly, it means a considered opinion or decisive judgment after examining a matter.
- A decision made by a jury in a criminal or civil trial.
- A firmly held opinion, conclusion, or judgment about a matter.
"After hearing the evidence, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty."
"The jury reached a verdict after less than two hours of deliberation."
"The committee issued a verdict on the proposal: it needed substantial revision."
Use the plural when referring to multiple decisions by a jury, court, panel, or other body.
"The two verdicts in the linked cases were reached by separate juries."
A verdict is the court's final word, but outside a courtroom it simply means a clear judgment reached after careful thought.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does verdict come from?
Verdict entered English in the early 17th century through French from Latin verdictum, meaning “a judgment” or “a decision.” The Latin noun was formed from verum, “true,” and dicere, “to say,” giving it the basic sense of saying or declaring what is true. Verdict belongs to the same Latin word family as words such as dictate, contradict, predict, and edict.
Related word forms
How verdict is actually used
The word is most strongly associated with legal and formal contexts. In general use, it often suggests a firm judgment based on careful consideration rather than a tentative opinion.
Easily confused with verdict
A verdict is usually the formal decision of a jury, whereas judgment is broader and can refer to a judge's ruling, an opinion, or the process of deciding a case.