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.

---

test case British  

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of test case

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

The World Cup rental market will serve as a test case for the 2028 Olympics, when an estimated 15 million people are expected to visit Southern California.

From Los Angeles Times

Countries like Denmark, Malaysia, Singapore, Greece and Brazil are among those who have said they're looking at Australia as a test case.

From BBC

RB207 is one of six test cases for damages being heard by a judge.

From BBC

The lawsuit is being seen by some as a test case of how much African countries can hold China accountable for wrongdoing in their territories.

From BBC

As one of the few countries outside the U.S. or China able to attempt a wide degree of AI autonomy, South Korea has emerged as a test case for sovereign AI.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• precedent