litmus test
noun
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Litmus Test Has Scientific Origins
It was in the 14th century that scientists discovered that litmus, a mixture of colored organic compounds obtained from lichen, turns red in acid solutions and blue in alkaline solutions and, thus, can be used as an acid-base indicator. Six centuries later, people began using litmus test figuratively. It can now refer to any single factor that establishes the true character of something or causes it to be assigned to one category or another. Often it refers to something (such as an opinion about a political or moral issue) that can be used to make a judgment about whether someone or something is acceptable or not.
Examples of litmus test in a Sentence
Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025
Other candidates running in the Democratic primary have been more vocal about what is increasingly becoming a litmus test for those seeking the city's highest office.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Healthcare has long served as the ultimate litmus test for artificial intelligence (AI).
—Amber Nigam, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
The administration should not probe candidates for their views on the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol or otherwise subject them to ideological litmus tests.
—David V. Gioe, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Litmus test.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litmus%20test. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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