a trial held for show; the guilt of the accused person has been decided in advance
disapproval People describe a trial as a show trial if they believe that the trial is unfair and is held for political reasons rather than in order to find out the truth. the show trials of political dissidents. an unfair trial that is organized by a government for political reasons, not in order to find out whether someone is guilty
trial conducted in a totalitarian country that is not a true and fair trial (the outcome and sentence are generally pre-determined)