Source : WordNet®

pretrial
     adj : preceding an official trial; "pretrial publicity"; "pretrial
           hearings are usually for the purpose of clarifying
           facts and points of la"

pretrial
     n : (law) a conference held before the trial begins to bring the
         parties together to outline discovery proceedings and to
         define the issues to be tried; more useful in civil than
         in criminal cases [syn: {pretrial conference}]