trial, evidence, guilty, illegal, innocent: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Intermediate set 12. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. trial · noun/ˈtraɪ(ə)l/

   the court process which decides if someone committed a crime or not

   During the trial, the judge asked the witness several questions about what she had seen.

   Synonyms: hearing, court case

   Origin: late Middle English (as a noun): from Anglo-Norman French, or from medieval Latin triallum. The verb dates from the 1980s

2. evidence · noun/ˈɛvəd(ə)ns/

   facts or information that show whether something is true

   The police have found no evidence of a terrorist connection or security threat linked to the shooting.

   Synonyms: proof, facts

   Origin: Middle English: via Old French from Latin evidentia, from evident- ‘obvious to the eye or mind’ (see evident)

3. guilty · adjective/ˈɡɪlti/

   responsible for a wrong act

   The court decided that the driver was guilty because he ignored the red light.

   Synonyms: at fault, to blame, responsible

   Origin: Old English gyltig, from gylt ‘guilt’

4. illegal · adjective/ɪ(l)ˈliɡ(ə)l/

   against the law

   In many countries it is illegal to drive a car without a license.

   Synonyms: unlawful, against the law

   Origin: early 17th century: from French illégal or medieval Latin illegalis, from Latin in- ‘not’ + legalis ‘according to the law’

5. innocent · adjective/ˈɪnəs(ə)nt/

   free of guilt or fault

   Nobody believed Tom when he said he did not break the window but he sounded totally innocent to me.

   Synonyms: not guilty, blameless, faultless

   Origin: Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin innocent- ‘not harming’, from in- ‘not’ + nocere ‘to hurt’