# Lemon test

> English word · Proper noun

## Definitions
1. The test for whether a government action violates the Establishment Clause of the United States' constitution: it does so if it lacks a secular purpose, has its primary effect as promoting or inhibiting religion, or fosters an excessive entanglement of government with religion.

## Etymology
After Lemon v. Kurtzman, the United States Supreme Court case in which the test was first spelled out. Lemon is the surname of its lead plaintiff, Alton Lemon.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/lemon-test