🗓️ Idiom: A Pilot Program (n)
💬 Meaning
- A small-scale test version of a project or product before a full launch.
- It means trying something on a smaller level to check if it works.
🧠 Example Sentences
- We ran a pilot program to test the new software before offering it to all clients.
- The pilot program helped us find bugs and improve the system.
- Launching a pilot program first saved the company time and money in the long run.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom comes from the idea of a “pilot” guiding or testing a journey. In business and innovation, a pilot program lets teams test new ideas safely before full rollout.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
Before going public, they launched __________ in one city to test the idea.
Answer
a pilot program
2. Choose the correct meaning of “a pilot program”:
A) A final version of a new service
B) A complete national rollout
C) A small trial of a new project
D) A repeated training course
Answer
C) A small trial of a new project
3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:
“The company tested the new product on a small group before releasing it widely.” → Change the sentence using: a pilot program
Answer
The company ran a pilot program before releasing the new product widely.