partial verdict
1
8.7
- noun
- /ˈpɑːrʧəl ˈvɜːrdɪkt/
- Jargon
:
veredicto parcial
- After hours of deliberation, the jury announced a partial verdict on the theft charges, acquitting the defendant of assault.
Examples
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MAN: Is your verdict as to all the defendants, as to all counts, - or is it a partial verdict?
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The jury returned a partial verdict, finding the defendant guilty on some charges but not others.
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In the high-profile trial, the judge allowed the jury to deliver a partial verdict before concluding the proceedings.
Synonyms
545
4.5
A decision by a jury about the facts of a trial that guides the judge
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense ‘a verdict that is only partial or applies to some charges’ is directly and predictably composed from 'partial' (only partly) + 'verdict' (a decision). Although used in a legal context, the adjective+noun composition follows standard patterns and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both words would likely infer the meaning.
Etymology
The legal term partial verdict comes from the simple idea that partial means 'only part' and verdict means a 'decision'. So, a partial verdict is a 'decision' that covers some, but not all, 'charges' in a case.