proving ground

noun

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

proving ground

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of proving ground¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Kennedy is hopeful that the Celtic Challenge, a cross-border club competition with teams from Scotland, Ireland and Wales that launched in 2023, can provide a proving ground to rival England's PWR in time.

Read more on BBC

Los Angeles, with its murals and multigenerational families, has become the proving ground for fear politics.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The loft was also a short walk to CBGB, soon to become the proving ground of New York’s punk revolution and the Heads’ primary live performance venue at the start of their career.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It’s also been a proving ground for drag queens not only in America, but all over the world.

Read more on Salon

But he lacked a paper trail, or a history with the conservative Federalist Society or Ronald Reagan’s Department of Justice, which served as proving grounds for the rising generation of Republican lawyers.

Read more on Salon