test case

noun

1

: a representative case whose outcome is likely to serve as a precedent

2

: a proceeding brought by agreement or on an understanding of the parties to obtain a decision as to the constitutionality of a statute

Examples of test case in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On the other side of Nepal from autocratic China, India is a test case for how democracies are employing increasingly sophisticated tactics to control online narratives. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 10 Sep. 2025

Though less glamorous than San Francisco’s startup scene, San Jose may be the ideal test case for government AI. —Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 5 Sep. 2025

Sand is being shipped from a quarry in Palm Springs to San Clemente’s North Beach, a test case to see how the desert grains hold up at the shore. —Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2025

Paramount+ offers a vivid test case in leadership under pressure—managing layoffs that could reach 3,000 employees, retooling its strategy around live sports, experimenting with AI, and trying to fuse the DNA of a legacy studio with the energy of a start-up. —Jason Wingard, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for test case

• abase
• airspace
• apace
• backspace
• biface
• birthplace
• blackface
• boldface
• bookcase
• braincase
• briefcase
• carcase

Legal Definition

test case

see case sense 1a