proving ground

American

noun

any place, context, or area for testing something, as a piece of scientific equipment, a theory, etc.

proving ground British

noun

a place or situation in which something new, such as equipment or a theory, can be tested

"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 proving ground

First recorded in 1940–45

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.

See Examples For:

proving ground

Coach JJ Redick expects training camp to be a proving ground for players who want start and be part of the rotation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

In short, they are the proving ground for the philosophy that corporate giants like Amazon.com and Meta Platforms are now channeling as they reorganize, de-layer, cut jobs and invest in more AI.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

"We're building a proving ground for Moon Base operations," said Ryan Stephan, NASA's Moon Base acting director of cargo landers.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

The race will be a proving ground for 2028.

From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026

One proving ground only opened onto the next.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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