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• screen test
  screen test

  noun

  a filmed audition to determine the suitability of an individual for appearing or acting in a motion picture.
• screen-test
  screen-test

  verb (used with object)

  to give a screen test to.

screen test

¹ American  

noun

• screen tests
  plural

1. a filmed audition to determine the suitability of an individual for appearing or acting in a motion picture.

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screen-test ² American  

[skreen-test] / ˈskrinˌtɛst /

verb (used with object)

1. to give a screen test to.

   The studio screen-tested 400 children before casting the part.

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verb (used without object)

1. to undergo a screen test.

   Dozens of actors have screen-tested for the role.

screen test British  

noun

1. a filmed audition of a prospective actor or actress to test suitability

2. the test film so made

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• screen tests
  plural

Etymology

Origin of screen test¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Origin of screen-test²

First recorded in 1965–70; v. use of noun phrase screen test

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

screen test screen-test

After that came actress-comedian Imogene Coca’s silly, charismatic 1936 screen test for David O. Selznick, followed by Selznick’s home movies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

Then, after finishing “The Order,” he immediately shot a screen test for the role of Lex Luthor in the upcoming “Superman” reboot before heading right into shooting Clint Eastwood’s “Juror #2”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 27, 2024

When he first got into Hollywood, he did a screen test, he got rejected for being rubbish.

From Salon ● Dec. 19, 2023

His move into television came when he was invited to a screen test by Granada, which was commissioning a new current affairs programme.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2023

“Say, could you get me a screen test with Warner Brothers?”

From Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm

They met several times to talk about opportunities and she had a screen-test at Weinstein’s Miramax offices in New York.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 29, 2020

She had celebrated photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha shoot her portfolio, and was approached by Dharmendra’s agent in a hotel lobby, asking to screen-test her for a project designed to launch his son Bobby Deol.

From New York Times ● Feb. 23, 2012