Meaning & use
verdict
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablelegal
The decision of a jury or judge on whether someone is guilty.
Grammar: Often with reach or return.
Patterns
- reach a verdict
- a verdict of guilty
The jury reached a verdict after two days.
The verdict was not guilty.
They announced the verdict.
nouncountable
An opinion given after thinking about something.
Grammar: Informal use; often the verdict on something.
Patterns
- the verdict on something
What's your verdict on the new cafe?
The critics' verdict was harsh.
The verdict from fans was positive.
Word forms
| plural | verdicts |
|---|
Common combinations
- reach a verdict
- The jury reached a verdict.
- guilty verdict
- A guilty verdict was returned.
- deliver a verdict
- The judge delivered the verdict.
- final verdict
- The final verdict is in.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- verdictless adjective
- rare
Commonly confused: verdict or sentence?
verdict vs sentence
The sentence is the punishment; the verdict is the decision on guilt.
Practice
After two days of talks, the jury finally reached a ___.
Choose one answer.
A jury reaches a verdict. A sentence is a punishment given by a judge.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “verdict”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.