means A verdict is the formal decision or judgment reached by a jury or court on a matter put before it, especially the question of guilt or innocence.

from From Anglo-Norman 'verdit' and Old French 'voirdit,' a fusion of Latin 'vere' (truly) and 'dictum' (a thing said) — literally a 'true saying.' So at its root a verdict is meant to be exactly that: the truth, spoken aloud, by those appointed to speak it.