Trial Balloon

B2 8+
Pronunciation Definitions Examples Grammatical Forms Origin and Evolution

Pronunciation: /ˈtraɪəl bəˈluːn/

Definitions of trial balloon

noun a tentative measure taken or statement made to see how a new policy or action will be received

Example Sentences

A1 The government is considering floating a trial balloon to test public opinion on the new policy.

A2 The company decided to release a trial balloon to see how customers would react to the new product.

B1 The politician used a trial balloon to gauge the potential support for her proposed legislation.

B2 The marketing team launched a trial balloon campaign to assess the market demand for their new service.

C1 The CEO strategically released a trial balloon to gather feedback from stakeholders before making a final decision.

C2 The trial balloon strategy proved to be effective in shaping public perception and gaining support for the controversial policy.

Examples of trial balloon in a Sentence

formal The government often uses a trial balloon to test public opinion before implementing a new policy.

informal The company floated a trial balloon to see how employees would react to a potential change in office hours.

slang The team decided to throw out a trial balloon to gauge interest in a team outing.

figurative She always sends out a trial balloon before making any big decisions in her personal life.

Grammatical Forms of trial balloon

past tense

tried

plural

trial balloons

comparative

more trial balloon

superlative

most trial balloon

present tense

try

future tense

will try

perfect tense

have tried

continuous tense

is trying

singular

trial balloon

positive degree

trial balloon

infinitive

to try

gerund

trying

participle

tried

Origin and Evolution of trial balloon

First Known Use: 1806 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The term 'trial balloon' originated from the practice of using actual balloons to test wind direction and speed before launching a hot air balloon. It was later metaphorically applied to test public reaction before making a decision.
Evolution of the word: Over time, 'trial balloon' has come to refer to a deliberate leak of information to gauge public reaction or test a potential idea, policy, or decision before officially announcing it.