verdict Hear it!

verdict Definition

ver·dict (vʉr′dikt)

noun

  1. Law the formal finding of a judge or jury on a matter submitted to them in a trial
  2. any decision or judgment

Etymology: ME verdit < Anglo-Fr < ML veredictum, true saying, verdict < L vere, truly + dictum, a thing said: see very & dictum

verdict Synonyms

verdict

n.

judgment, finding, decision, answer, opinion, sentence, determination, decree, conclusion, deduction, adjudication, arbitrament.

verdict Law Definition

n

The conclusion of a jury, or  of a judge in a non-jury case, of what the facts are or were. A verdict, being a finding of fact, is different from a judgment or a judicial decision. The trial court may choose to accept or to disregard the verdict in determining judgment.
compromise verdict
A verdict achieved by some juror giving in on one of his or her misgivings in exchange for another juror’s doing the same, in order to avoid a deadlock or extended period of deliberation. Such an exchange, although considered improper, happens often.
general verdict
A verdict that simply declares which side wins, without finding any special facts to be true.
partial verdict
A verdict in a criminal case that finds the defendant guilty of some charges but innocent of others.
quotient verdict
An improper verdict in a damage case, whereby the jurors find the arithmetic mean of what they think are appropriate damages; that is, the total of what each juror believes should be awarded, divided by the number of jurors to arrive at the amount of the award.
special verdict
A jury verdict that sets forth findings on the merits of each factual issue posed by the court,  then used by the court in applying the law to the facts that were found to have merit. When applied in a criminal case, where the judge directs the jury to render special verdicts on specific charges in a case, such action has been declared to be unconstitutional, as the defendant is entitled to a general verdict.
verdict Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • disable: There are only so many programs that you can watch about the African Bullfrog for example. disable ad VERDICT So should you invest?
  • damn: Have we all been victims of Trotskii's damning verdicts on Stalin?
  • overturn: Three senior judges will have the power to overturn the guilty verdict, order a retrial or keep the 41-year-old in jail.
  • pronounce: The jury had other ideas and pronounced a verdict of willful murder by the person or persons who ordered the militia to fire.

Preposition: at

  • inquest: About 50 women in England and Wales committed suicide in that first year, or there was an open verdict at the inquest.

Adjective modifier

  • unanimous: The inquest jury recorded a unanimous verdict of unlawful killing in March 1998.
  • guilty: A formal not guilty verdict was returned on a 10th count of indecent assault, for which the crown offered no evidence.
  • final: Final Verdict: You should know the 80s slasher drill by now.
  • perverse: There should be a right for the prosecution and defense to appeal against perverse jury verdicts.

Noun used with modifier

  • inquest: In 1993 the request for the inquest verdicts to be overturned was turned down.
  • ad: There are only so many programs that you can watch about the African Bullfrog for example. disable ad VERDICT So should you invest?
  • jury: A potential jury verdict nearly an second to lifting is.
  • killing: The police officers involved then attempted to get the unlawful killing verdict overturned, but failed.

Possessives

  • jury: Others were less inclined to agree with the first jury's guilty verdict.

Preposition: of

  • misadventure: An inquest jury has returned a verdict of misadventure on a prisoner found hanging in a cell at Bedford jail.
  • manslaughter: In October 1836 the jury at an inquest held at the White Hart in Lenton returned a verdict of manslaughter on Henry Thomas Mortimer.
  • killing: At a later inquest the jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing.
  • jury: The judges upheld the verdict of the original jury.
  • homicide: The Mayor initially refused an inquest, then relented but directed the coroner to return a verdict of justifiable homicide.

Preposition: for

  • plaintiff: The jury found a verdict for the plaintiff, damages £ 120.
verdict Quotes

The nation suspects that the regular ministerial majorities in Parliament are bought, and that the Crown hasmadea purchase oftheHousewiththemoneyofthe people. Hence the ready, tame and servile compliance to every royal verdict issued by Lord North† It is almost universally believed that this debt has been contracted in corrupting the representatives of the people.

—Whitbread, Samuel

I therefore fearlessly challenge the verdict which this house†is to give on the question now brought before it†whether, as the Roman, in days of old, held himself free from indignity, when he could say Civis Romanus sum; so also a British subject, in whatever land he may be, shall feel confident that the watchful eye and the strong arm of England will protect him against injustice and wrong.

—Palmerston, HenryJohnTemple, 3rd Viscount

Your verdict, gentlemen, will be less upon us than upon yourselves.We appear before you.You appear before history.

—Clemenceau, Georges

Browse dictionary entries near verdict

  1. ‹ Verdicchio
  2. ‹ Verdi
  3. ‹ verderer
  4. ‹ Verde
  5. ‹ verdant
  6. ‹ Vercingetorix
  7. ‹ verbum sat sapienti (est)
  8. ‹ verboten
  9. ‹ verbosity
  10. ‹ verbosely
  1. verdigris ›
  2. verdin ›
  3. verditer ›
  4. Verdun ›
  5. verdure ›
  6. verdurous ›
  7. Vereeniging ›
  8. verge ›
  9. verger ›
  10. Vergil ›