sanity check

In computer science, mathematics, and general business usage, a sanity check is a basic test to determine if a claim, calculation, or software output is rational and roughly correct. It is often a "quick and dirty" evaluation designed to rule out obviously false results or major system failures before proceeding with more rigorous, time-consuming testing. The term is a metaphorical extension of a medical evaluation of a person's mental soundness, applied instead to the "soundness" of data or logic.

Usage of the term is contested within the movement toward inclusive language. Those who continue to use it view it as standard industry terminology where the medical association has been "bleached" out, serving as a useful idiom for verifying basic coherence. Conversely, critics argue that the term is ableist; by equating "bad data" or "broken code" with a lack of sanity, the metaphor relies on and reinforces stigmas surrounding mental illness. Consequently, many style guides in the technology sector (such as those at Google and Microsoft) now recommend using more precise, descriptive alternatives.

Example:
"Before we launch the update, run a quick sanity check to ensure the login page actually loads."

Example:
"Can you give these figures a sanity check? The total revenue looks impossibly high for January."