proving ground

American  

noun

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

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proving ground British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of proving ground

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

The mine was restarted as a proving ground for Rio Tinto’s RIO 2.74%increase; green up pointing triangle new method of unlocking low-grade copper deposits.

From The Wall Street Journal

In August 2022, Google introduced a chatbot model with a range of conversational abilities, making it available to a limited number of people through an app called AI Test Kitchen, a proving ground of sorts.

From The Wall Street Journal

Big hospital systems have become the proving ground for widespread AI adoption, testing what the technology can do, but also revealing—sometimes via alarming mishaps—where it falls flat.

From The Wall Street Journal

For now, what's on the court for Baylor is a young man with a wealth of international experience and a chance to make a splash in a prime proving ground for NBA talent.

From Barron's

The 1988 protests were a proving ground for activists, some still challenging military rule today.

From Barron's