test case

American  

noun

1. a typical case whose court decision may be interpreted as a precedent for application in future similar cases.

2. a legal action taken, sometimes deliberately by agreement of both parties, with a special view to determining the position of the law on some matter, as the constitutionality of a statute.

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test case British  

noun

1. a legal action that serves as a precedent in deciding similar succeeding cases

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Etymology

Origin of test case

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

This will be the first major test case of how well AI can improve productivity at this relatively early stage.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Few experts believed the test case would succeed.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026

The ruling amounted to a test case of South Carolina’s law.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

For now, Music Mogul AI stands as a test case — not just of what technology can automate, but of how much of live music’s soul should be left to code.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

The perfect test case, the perfect way to set precedent—not with someone who was malicious, not with a societal outlier.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• precedent