retrial
UK[ˌriːˈtraɪəl]US[ˌriːˈtraɪəl]
n
A second or new trial of a law case, especially when the first trial was found to be invalid or its result was appealed.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
trial
re
again
trial
a formal examination in court
Etymology
The word 'retrial' is a modern English compound formed by transparently combining the Latin-derived prefix 're-' with the noun 'trial.' The prefix 're-,' meaning "again," has been a productive element in English since the Middle English period, borrowed from Latin. The noun 'trial' entered English via Anglo-French in the late 15th century, evolving from the concept of "testing" or "attempting" to its specific legal sense. Therefore, 'retrial' logically and literally means "a trial again," directly reflecting its function in the legal system to denote a subsequent proceeding, typically ordered due to an error or insufficiency in the first.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + trial (a formal examination in court)
re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back."
trial: From Anglo-French, ultimately from Latin triare (to try, to sift), functioning as the core noun meaning a formal examination of evidence in a court of law.
Examples
The judge ordered a retrial due to new evidence coming to light.
The defendant's legal team immediately filed a motion for a retrial.
After a successful appeal, the case was sent back to the lower court for a retrial.