verdict

ver|dict [ˈvə:dıkt US ˈvə:r-] n

[Date: 1200-1300; : Anglo-French; Origin: Old French ver 'true' + dit 'saying, judgment']

1.) an official decision made in a court of law, especially about whether someone is guilty of a crime or how a death happened

▪ The jury has retired to consider its verdict .

▪ After a week the jury had still not reached a verdict .

▪ I never doubted that they would deliver the correct verdict .

▪ a majority verdict of 10 to 2

▪ The unanimous verdict was 'guilty'.

▪ There was not enough evidence for a guilty verdict .

▪ The Coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.

2.) an official decision made by a person or group with authority

▪ The players anxiously awaited the verdict of the umpire.

3.) someone's opinion about something

▪ The audience's final verdict was encouraging.

verdict on

▪ What's your verdict on the movie?

give (sb) your verdict (on sth)

▪ Trade unionists were quick to give their verdict on the proposals.

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COLLOCATES for sense 1

consider a verdict (=think about what decision to make)

reach/arrive at a verdict (=make a decision)

return/deliver/record a verdict (=tell the court your decision)

majority verdict (=when most of thejury agrees)

unanimous verdict (=when the wholejury agrees)

guilty verdict/verdict of guilty

not guilty verdict/verdict of not guilty

verdict of accidental death/suicide/unlawful killing etc

open verdict British English (=a decision that the cause of someone's death is not known)

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