Definition of "pretrial" [pretrial]

• A proceeding held before an official trial, especially to clarify points of law and facts. (noun)
• Of or relating to a pretrial. (adjective)
• Existing or occurring before a trial: pretrial imprisonment; pretrial hearings. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "And the reason for that visit was prompted because his immediate commander, his company commander, had placed him in what we call pretrial confinement."
• "Under Article 10 of the UCMJ and military case law, an accused in pretrial confinement must be brought to trial with "reasonable diligence.""
• "Several jurors said in pretrial questionnaires that they attended church."