sanity check

noun

A check to make sure that something does not contain elementary mistakes or impossibilities and is not based on invalid assumptions.

“Near-synonyms: reality check; sniff test”

Similar
sanity testreality checksniff test
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Meanings

nounsanity check (plural sanity checks)

plural sanity checks

  1. A check to make sure that something does not contain elementary mistakes or impossibilities and is not based on invalid assumptions.

    Near-synonyms: reality check; sniff test

    Synonyms: sanity test, reality check, sniff test

verbsanity check (third-person singular simple present sanity checks, present participle sanity checking, simple past and past participle sanity checked)

present singular third person sanity checks · participle present sanity checking · participle past sanity checked · past sanity checked

  1. To perform a sanity check.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA check to make sure that something does not contain elementary mistakes or impossibilities and is not based on invalid assumptions.

Similar
sanity testreality checksniff test
Also see
nose testreality checksanity testsniff test

Translations

Finnish järkevyystarkastus
  • järkevyystarkastusan act of checking that something does not contain elementary mistakes or impossibilities
French test de plausibilité, contrôle de plausibilité
  • test de plausibilitéan act of checking that something does not contain elementary mistakes or impossibilities
  • contrôle de plausibilitéan act of checking that something does not contain elementary mistakes or impossibilities
German Plausibilitätsprüfung
  • Plausibilitätsprüfungan act of checking that something does not contain elementary mistakes or impossibilities
Polish kontrola poczytalności
  • kontrola poczytalnościan act of checking that something does not contain elementary mistakes or impossibilities
Cite this entry
APA

sanity check. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sanity%20check

MLA

“sanity check.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sanity%20check. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sanity check,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sanity%20check.

Source: sanity check on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.