testing

/ˈtɛstɪŋ/

/ˈtɛstɪŋ/

Other forms: testings

Use the word testing to mean the process of evaluating how something works or how well students have learned. Most colleges require applicants to undergo testing.

There are two kinds of testing: the testing that's done on products to make sure they work or are safe, and the testing that's done on students to make sure they're learning what they need to know. If you've seen a label on shaving cream or hand lotion that says "no animal testing," it means the company didn't experiment on animals when they determined the product's safety.

Definitions of testing

1. noun

   the act of subjecting to experimental test in order to determine how well something works
   “they agreed to end the testing of atomic weapons”

   type of:

   experiment, experimentation

   the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation
2. noun

   the act of giving students or candidates a test (as by questions) to determine what they know or have learned
   synonyms: examination

   types:

   11-plus, eleven-plus

   (formerly in Britain) an examination taken by 11 and 12 year old students to select suitable candidates for grammar school

   type of:

   investigating, investigation

   the work of inquiring into something thoroughly and systematically
3. noun

   an examination of the characteristics of something
   “there are laboratories for commercial testing”

   “it involved testing thousands of children for smallpox”

   types:

   screening

   testing objects or persons in order to identify those with particular characteristics

   genetic screening

   analyzing a group of people to determine genetic susceptibility to a particular disease

   type of:

   examination, scrutiny

   the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)