Words / B2

VURD-ikt/ˈvɜːdɪkt/

A verdict is a court’s official decision, or a judgement on quality: a guilty verdict; a verdict on the play. Sentence is the punishment that follows; ruling is the judge’s legal decision. The mock jury returned a verdict. Mix-up: predict is to forecast. Do not call a teacher’s comment a verdict without the legal or review sense.

Meaning

An official decision in a court, or a judgement about something.

Examples

• “The mock jury returned a verdict of not guilty after forty minutes.”
• “Critics gave the production a mixed verdict, which is the review sense.”

Good to know

return / reach a verdict; a guilty / not-guilty verdict. Next step: sentence. Trap: predict. Law units and reviews. Decision, not the punishment.

Near in meaning

judgement

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