"Trial by water" is an ancient method used to determine a person's guilt or innocence. In this practice, an accused individual would be submerged in water. If they floated, it was believed they were guilty, as the water rejected them. Conversely, if they sank, they were considered innocent, as they were accepted by the water. This practice was part of a broader set of judicial trials, including trial by fire and trial by combat. While it was used in various cultures, it is now regarded as a superstitious and unjust method of legal judgment, having been abandoned in modern legal systems.