test case
Americannoun
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a typical case whose court decision may be interpreted as a precedent for application in future similar cases.
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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.
noun
Etymology
Origin of test case
First recorded in 1890–95
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Therefore industrial players are a good real world test case for the implementation of AI.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
But the Dershowitz lawsuit may have been a less than ideal test case.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
A test case before a German court could have implications for hundreds of thousands of disabled people in the country who currently work for less than the legal minimum wage.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
He said he didn’t set out to create a legal test case but he wasn’t the kind of person to just pay the fine quietly.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
Illustrations provided—rough illustrations where the test case is clearly Kelsea.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
