A2noun1K

Case

UK /["/keɪs/"]/US /["/keɪs/"]/

Definition

a particular situation or a situation of a particular type

In simple words: A situation or example.

Examples

  • Please put the documents in the case for safekeeping.
  • The detective solved the case after many years of investigation.
  • In case of emergency, please call this number.
  • She opened her laptop case and took out her computer.
  • The lawyer presented new evidence in the case today.
  • Make sure to bring a case for your glasses to protect them.
  • In any case, we should stick to our original plan.
  • He put his phone back in its case after using it.
  • That case of books is really heavy; can you help me carry it?
  • The case involved several witnesses and a lot of evidence.

Usage notes

Use 'case' to refer to a particular situation, especially in legal or medical contexts. It is less formal than 'instance' and more common in everyday conversation.

Grammar pattern

case + of + object

Memory hint

Think of a 'case' as a special folder containing details about a situation.

Collocations

  • classic
  • textbook
  • typical
  • illustrate
  • show
  • cite
  • arise
  • occur
  • study
  • example
  • in somebody’s/​this case
  • case of
  • case by case
  • a case in point
  • be
  • remain
  • overstate
  • classic
  • textbook
  • typical
  • illustrate
  • show
  • cite
  • arise
  • occur
  • study
  • example
  • in somebody’s/​this case
  • case of
  • case by case
  • a case in point
  • notorious
  • tragic
  • assault
  • handle
  • investigate
  • work on
  • file
  • report
  • officer
  • on the case
  • case of
  • court
  • criminal
  • civil
  • bring
  • prosecute
  • pursue
  • come before somebody
  • come to court
  • go to court
  • in a/​the case
  • case against
  • case of
  • a case to answer
  • no case to answer
  • the circumstances of a case
  • compelling
  • convincing
  • good
  • have
  • prepare
  • outline
  • exist
  • case against
  • case for
  • the case for the defence/​defense
  • the case for the prosecution
  • the merits of a case
  • carrying
  • packing
  • glass
  • in a/​the case
  • inside a/​the case
  • out of a/​the case
  • attaché
  • overnight
  • acute
  • chronic
  • advanced
  • diagnose
  • report
  • history
  • notes
  • records
  • case of

Synonyms

  • instance
  • situation
  • example
  • report
  • condition

Antonyms

  • sameness
  • uniformity

Common mistakes

  • Confused with 'case' as a container instead of a situation.
  • Using 'case' without properly specifying what type of case (e.g., legal case, medical case).