What does testing mean?
Testing is the present participle of the verb test and is also used as an adjective and noun. As an adjective, it describes something that involves a test or is demanding, as in “a testing examination” or “a testing time.” As a verb form, it indicates an activity involving examining, checking, evaluating, or trying something: a laboratory may test a sample, a developer may test software, and a researcher may test a hypothesis. As a noun, testing names the process itself and appears frequently in contexts such as laboratory testing, safety testing, and software testing. The word often suggests systematic evaluation rather than a casual impression. It can also imply that the process is rigorous, difficult, or revealing, depending on the context. Testing is related to a broader family including test, tested, tester, and testable, and it shares a historical root with words such as testify and testimony. Its usefulness lies in expressing both the act of scrutiny and the conditions or experiences created by that scrutiny.
Involving or serving as a test; often difficult or demanding.
"The course included several testing exercises designed to reveal what students had understood."
The adjective frequently has a negative or challenging connotation, especially when describing a period, experience, or environment.
The present participle of test, meaning to examine, evaluate, check, or try something.
"The engineers are testing the system under heavy traffic."
This form can be used independently in a sentence or as the first or second element of a present-perfect or continuous construction.
The act or process of examining, evaluating, checking, or trying something.
"Routine testing helps identify faults before the equipment is put into service."
The noun use is common in technical, scientific, educational, and legal contexts; “testings” is possible but uncommon.
The plural is grammatically possible but rare; most uses can be rephrased with “tests,” “the testing of,” or “testing processes.”
"The report compares several testings of the material under different conditions."
From assaying metals to checking software, testing has always meant putting a claim, material, or system to the proof.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does testing come from?
Testing is formed from the English word test by adding the present-participle ending -ing. Test entered Middle English through Old French teste, originally referring to a vessel or cup used in examining metals, and the word was later extended to the practice of examination and proof. The modern forms testing, tested, and tester developed from that older noun and verb, while related words such as testify and testimony descend from the same Latin root associated with witnessing or making known.
Related word forms
How testing is actually used
In its adjective use, testing often describes an experience, situation, or period that is difficult or challenging. As a noun, testing is common in technical, scientific, educational, and legal contexts and is often followed by a phrase identifying what is being tested.
Easily confused with testing
Testing involves examining or evaluating something, while texting means sending written messages by phone or another electronic device.