means-test

[meenz-test]

verb (used with object)

to subject (a person or a specific benefit) to a means test: The government proposes to means-test Medicare.

verb (used without object)

to perform a means test: fair and responsible means-testing.

Origin of means-test

1960–65

means test

noun

an investigation into the financial position of a person applying for aid from public funds.

Origin of means test

First recorded in 1925–30

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for means-test

means test

noun

a test involving the checking of a person's income to determine whether he qualifies for financial or social aid from a governmentCompare needs test

Derived Formsmeans-tested, adjective

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