pretest

[ noun pree-test; verb pree-test ]

noun

1. an advance or preliminary testing or trial, as of a new product.
2. a test given to determine if students are sufficiently prepared to begin a new course of study.
3. a test taken for practice.

verb (used with object)

1. to give a pretest to (a student, product, etc.).

verb (used without object)

1. to conduct a pretest:

   to pretest for consumer acceptance.

pretest

/ priːˈtɛst /

verb

1. to test (something) before presenting it to its intended public or client

noun

1. the act or instance of pretesting

Word History and Origins

Origin of pretest¹

First recorded in 1945–50; pre- + test ¹

Example Sentences

It did not require a pretest dose supervised by a physician as the previous studies did.

From Science Daily

The task gets harder when translating the words into multiple languages, requiring pollsters to extensively pretest the questionnaire to make sure it means the same thing to a Chinese speaker, for example, that it means in Spanish and that both are the same as the original English.

From Los Angeles Times

The bees' response to the ambiguous stimulus depended on whether they received a treat before the test: those that got the pretest sugar approached the intermediate color faster than those that didn't.

From Scientific American

Pretest counseling is crucial when undergoing any medical test.

From New York Times

“The public had the wrong impression about how much protection we were getting from the Safe Travels pretest program, and you can’t make good policy if you don’t have accurate information,” Altenberg said.

From Seattle Times