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• test
  test

  noun

  the means by which the presence, quality, or genuineness of anything is determined; a means of trial.
• test.
  test.

  abbreviation

  testator.
• Test.
  Test.

  abbreviation

  Testament.

Trivia Time

Test comes from a Latin word referring to what?

Test Your Knowledge

test

¹ American  

[test] / tɛst /

noun

1. the means by which the presence, quality, or genuineness of anything is determined; a means of trial.

   Synonyms:

   assay, proof

2. the trial of the quality of something.

   to put to the test.

3. a particular process or method for trying or assessing.

4. a set of questions, problems, or the like, used as a means of evaluating the abilities, aptitudes, skills, or performance of an individual or group; examination.

5. Psychology. a set of standardized questions, problems, or tasks designed to elicit responses for use in measuring the traits, capacities, or achievements of an individual.

6. Chemistry.

   1. the process of identifying or detecting the presence of a constituent of a substance, or of determining the nature of a substance, commonly by the addition of a reagent.

   2. the reagent used.

   3. an indication or evidence of the presence of a constituent, or of the nature of a substance, obtained by such means.

7. an oath or other confirmation of one's loyalty, religious beliefs, etc.

8. British. a cupel for refining or assaying metals.

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verb (used with object)

• tests,
  present (3rd person singular)
• tested,
  past participle,  past
• testing
  present participle

1. to subject to a test of any kind; try.

   Synonyms:

   examine, prove, assay

2. Chemistry. to subject to a chemical test.

3. Metallurgy. to assay or refine in a cupel.

verb (used without object)

• tests,
  present (3rd person singular)
• tested,
  past participle,  past
• testing
  present participle

1. to undergo a test or trial; try out.

2. to perform on a test.

   People test better in a relaxed environment.

3. to conduct a test.

   to test for diabetes.

test ² American  

[test] / tɛst /

noun

1. Zoology. the hard, protective shell or covering of certain invertebrates, as echinoderms or tunicates.

2. Botany. testa.

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test. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. testator.

2. testimony.

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Test. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. Testament.

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test ¹ British  

/ tɛst /

verb

1. to ascertain (the worth, capability, or endurance) of (a person or thing) by subjection to certain examinations; try

2. (often foll by for) to carry out an examination on (a substance, material, or system) by applying some chemical or physical procedure designed to indicate the presence of a substance or the possession of a property

   to test food for arsenic

   to test for magnetization

3. (intr) to achieve a specified result in a test

   a quarter of the patients at the clinic tested positive for the AIDS virus

4. (tr) to put under severe strain

   the long delay tested my patience

5. to make an exploratory or initial approach; sound out

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noun

1. a method, practice, or examination designed to test a person or thing

2. a series of questions or problems designed to test a specific skill or knowledge

   an intelligence test

3. a standard of judgment; criterion

4. 1. a chemical reaction or physical procedure for testing a substance, material, etc

   2. a chemical reagent used in such a procedure

      litmus is a test for acids

   3. the result of the procedure or the evidence gained from it

      the test for alcohol was positive

5. sport See test match

6. archaic a declaration or confirmation of truth, loyalty, etc; oath

7. (modifier) performed as a test

   test drive

   test flight

test ² British  

/ tɛst /

noun

1. the hard or tough outer covering of certain invertebrates and tunicates

2. a variant of testa

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test Idioms  

1. see acid test; put to the test.

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Usage

What is a basic definition of test? A test is a series of questions or problems that is used to determine a person’s ability or understanding of something. More generally, test refers to a trial, experiment, or examination that is designed to determine the qualities or characteristics of someone or something. As a verb, test means to assess someone’s knowledge or abilities, to put someone or something through a trial, or to try something out. The word test has several other senses as a noun and a verb. A test is a collection of questions, tasks, or problems that are designed to see if a person understands a subject or to measure their ability to do something. Real-life examples: Most schooling involves taking tests in many subjects, such as math and history. Lawyers must do well on a particularly difficult test, known as the bar examination, to be able to practice law. Used in a sentence: I studied all night for my chemistry test. Test can also be used in this context as a verb meaning to administer such a test. Real-life examples: Teachers test their students’ knowledge by giving them quizzes and tests. Used in a sentence: Yes, you will be tested on this. As a noun, test also refers to an experiment or trial that is designed to discover information about something. Real-life examples: Scientists and researchers create many tests (often called experiments) to learn new information or to see if a hypothesis is correct. A test of a chemical might involve how it reacts with other chemicals. Companies and businesses use safety tests to see if their products are safe for customers. A pregnancy test analyzes body fluids for hormones to determine whether someone is pregnant. Used in a sentence: The scientists used several different tests to determine how much pollution was in the drinking water. Related to this sense, test can mean to put something through a trial or test or to try it. Real-life examples: People often test products before purchasing them. When buying a car, you can test how it drives by taking it on a test drive. Testing a person often involves making them endure some kind of trial. Used in a sentence: The boss is just testing you because you’re new—he wants to see if you can handle the pressure.

Synonym Usage

See trial.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• testability
  noun
• nontestable
  adjective
• nontesting
  adjective
• self-testing
  adjective
• testable
  adjective
• testing
  adjective
• untestable
  adjective
• untested
  adjective
• well-tested
  adjective
• testingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• testing
  present
• tested
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• test
  simple
• tests
  simple
• have tested
  perfect
• has tested
  perfect
• am testing
  progressive
• are testing
  progressive
• is testing
  progressive
• have been testing
  perfect progressive
• has been testing
  perfect progressive

Past

• tested
  simple
• had tested
  perfect
• was testing
  progressive
• were testing
  progressive
• had been testing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will test
  simple
• will have tested
  perfect
• will be testing
  progressive
• will have been testing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of test¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English: test(e), tast(e) “crucible; cupel,” from Old French “test, teste,” Latin testū, testum “earthenware pot”; akin to test ²

Origin of test²

First recorded in 1840–45; from Latin testa “tile, shell, covering”; akin to test ¹

Explanation

If your boss tells you not to test her patience, she means don't push her today, because she might just snap. Surely you're familiar with vocabulary tests? In this case, someone is giving you difficult questions to see how much you know. Test more generally means "trial." If you test a soap on your skin, you use it on one small patch, to see if you'll have an allergic reaction. A drug test looks for the presence of drugs in your system. A difficult time in life is sometimes called "a test," because it's testing your strength to persevere.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

test test. Test. tests tested testing

In 2006 it was confirmed that North Korea had successfully conducted an underground nuclear test and was on its way to building a bomb.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

And he would send out all these mailings, test mailings, and see which one raised the most money.

From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026

To meet that launch window, technicians in protective suits test electronics on the spacecraft’s chassis, which resembles a gray metal box with four outstretched arms.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

The BBC's Helena Humphrey took a test drive ahead of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, where IndyCar race cars will push speeds of 180mph in Washington DC.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

I reach under my chair for Dad’s new novel, The Promise of After, which I brought in case I finished the test early even though Dad says I’m too young to read it.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

"We felt that airflow increase on the 4850 Level during that test. That's what made the correlation and triggered everything," Connot said.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026

“We always want to innovate and test. That’s something that was exciting to us to think about bringing our audience new content in different places.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2026

“Prostate cancer screenings. They’ve learned there is a simple, finger-free blood test. Roughly one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. And I was one of them.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

"I've already taken this test. I contacted World Boxing, I sent them my medical records, my hormone tests, everything. But I haven't had any response. I'm not hiding, I'm not refusing the tests."

From Barron's ● Feb. 4, 2026

"He knows, but you don't have to talk to him about it, okay? This is our business right now, you and me. Now, look at test. Not hard. I pass on first try."

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell

"We've got loads of time, there's about 12 weeks until the first Test. We'll see how the next little bit pans out."

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2025

“It’s really good for a young guy to put in a performance that wins England a Test. He was pretty emotional at the end. It’s a pretty cool day for him.”

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2024

“Brisbane is something we can look at. We came back and we won the Test. If we can replicate that, all of us will be really happy,” added Da Silva.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2024

Baum, meanwhile, insists that England must now press their advantage home and win the fifth Test. "2-2 would be a hollow outcome," he says.

From The Guardian ● Dec. 29, 2010

Test. by a reference to the lxx., &c.

From The Revision Revised by John William Burgon

No cause of death has been released, though additional tests are yet to be completed.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Rigorous tests and inspections are planned before the line reopens.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

He added that the patient should have undergone daily blood tests but that there was no evidence of any blood being taken during his two weeks of home convalescence.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

The tasting was one of dozens of tests the maker of Slim Jims and Hungry-Man dinners is conducting with an eye toward the conundrum presented by GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

He wanted the doctor to begin treatment immediately, rather than subject the patient to further tests.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

The researchers "tested it in soil, seawater and deionised water. It degraded in all of those conditions ... and we estimate that it would biodegrade within about nine months," she said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026

The measures follow reports that two travellers tested positive for Ebola in a village under M23 control.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Romantic, criminal and naughty hijinks ensue and bonds are tested — and ultimately reinforced.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

On a recent Friday, scientists cultivated living tissue, engineers tested new flavors for an 80-gram protein bar for the U.S. military and interns modeled coastal erosion on Maui.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Was he being singled out for some reason; was he being tested?

From "Abel's Island" by William Steig

But Walmart started testing more trendy items at higher price points in stores.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

Hot weather is arriving earlier, lasting longer and increasingly testing our school buildings that were designed and built in a past climate.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Because the specific yeast beta-glucan used in the study is already commercially available as a food-grade supplement, researchers believe it could move relatively quickly into clinical testing.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026

Sailing from Busan New Port, the container ship -- the "PanStar Acro" -- will sail to Europe via the Arctic, testing whether a route opened by melting sea ice can be commercially viable.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Led by a physicist named Robert Oppenheimer, the team succeeded, testing the world’s first atomic bomb in the New Mexico desert in July 1945.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• analysis
• approval
• assessment
• attempt
• check
• evaluation
• experiment
• final
• inquiry
• inspection
• investigation
• search
• standard
• trial