test case

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.

test case

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of test case¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

The firm is something of a test case for the government's hopes to remove regulatory barriers to fast growing international companies.

From BBC

His literal cancellation is more like a test case, designed to measure the breadth and power of the accelerating authoritarian coup now underway in America.

From Salon

The proceedings mark a historic moment for the court and could serve as a test case for future prosecutions of high-profile suspects who currently appear to be beyond its reach.

From BBC

As one guest put it, “It feels like a test case for Elon Musk’s first colony on Mars.”

From Los Angeles Times

“This appears to have been a test case in which the administration attempted to enforce a ‘new policy’ against Ms. Co Tupul,” Eric Lee, one of Co Tupul’s attorneys, said Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• precedent