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Synonyms

test case

American  

noun

  1. a typical case whose court decision may be interpreted as a precedent for application in future similar cases.

  2. a legal action taken, sometimes deliberately by agreement of both parties, with a special view to determining the position of the law on some matter, as the constitutionality of a statute.

test case British  

noun

  1. a legal action that serves as a precedent in deciding similar succeeding cases

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of test case

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Her trial was a test case in multi-district litigation against major social media companies.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026

Maine’s has been on the books since 1989, and it is a perfect test case for this long-overlooked path to accountability.

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026

This will be the first major test case of how well AI can improve productivity at this relatively early stage.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Suzuka, which hosted the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend and is regarded as possibly the most challenging circuit on the calendar, was a test case for the new rules.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

In 1897, he found his ideal test case.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.