Trial By Ordeal (Noun)
Meaning
A primitive method of determining a person's guilt or innocence by subjecting the accused person to dangerous or painful tests believed to be under divine control; escape was usually taken as a sign of innocence.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Examples
- The victim's mother had no choice but to witness her daughter undergo a trial by ordeal, a grueling test by fire that would supposedly prove her innocence.
- In ancient times, trial by ordeal was a common method used to settle disputes and prove one's innocence, but it was often unfair and led to unjust outcomes.
- The accused woman was forced to hold a hot iron in her hand, a trial by ordeal that would supposedly reveal the truth behind the alleged crime.
- Trial by ordeal was eventually abolished as it was deemed to be inhumane and ineffective in establishing the truth.
- The knights believed that the trial by ordeal would confirm their suspicions, but it was merely a tool used to assert power and suppress dissent.