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case

case

5.1
A person who needs help or treatment from a professional
  • noun
  • /keɪs/
translation icon : caso
  • The detective was assigned to a challenging case involving a missing person.
  • a case study
  • a case patient
  • a case report

Or do a few sensational cases skew our perception?

Examples

  • No, we were just discussing the divorce case of Lord Byron Jones, the undertaker.

  • No, I think we just have a case of miscommunication.

  • Suppose that the hospital case comes about as follows.

  • So, you and the D.A. working a new case together yet?

  • I am very happy chasing cold leads on our missing persons case.

  • I'm working on an important P.I. case.

  • More fundamentally, a delay in child support cases means a delay in families receiving support.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Let's talk about this case of Jennifer Crumbly.

  • Mrs. Waters, well, I'd like you to know that our appeals department, we have done a careful analysis of your case, and I want you to understand that we've given significantly more time to your claim than our others.

  • In his research, the psychologist studied various cases of anxiety disorders.

Synonyms

character
vscase
  • Informal
623 4.1

An interesting or unusual person you notice because of how they act

is used for people who draw professional attention or are considered unusual
subject
vscase
  • Formal
427 4.1

A thing that someone looks at or studies

is a person who attracts professional attention or is seen as unusual
guinea pig
vscase
  • Informal
44 3.5

A person who takes part in an experiment so others can see the results

is instead a person who draws professional attention or is considered unusual
eccentric
vscase
1 7.0

A person who behaves in an unusual way that others find odd

is applied when a person draws professional attention or study rather than odd behaviour

Idioms

558 1.0

To do something to be safe if a problem happens later

256 3.3

To be ready for something that might happen

51 2.8

No matter what, this is true or will happen

case in point
  • Informal
33 3.7

An example that clearly shows the point you are making

to rest my case
  • Informal
11 6.5

To say you have finished and proved your point

If something dangerous or urgent happens, follow these instructions

1 9.9

Get in trouble with the law by being charged with a crime

Compounds

97 2.8

A court case about someone being killed and the person tried for it

36 3.8

A careful study of one person, group or situation for research and teaching

30 3.9

An argument with good evidence and clear reasons that is likely to convince people

20 3.5

A typical example of a situation or problem

basket case
  • Offensive
19 7.8

A person or thing that cannot cope and is a total mess

case law
  • Specialized
18 5.6

Judges make rules from earlier court decisions

charity case
  • Offensive
14 4.6

A person who gets help from other people because they are in need

12 2.4

A glass cabinet with clear sides that shows and protects things like jewelry or small objects

12 5.2

A legal matter handled by the national government rather than state or local courts

10 4.4

A legal process to decide who will live with and care for a child after parents separate

nut case
  • Slur
9 8.2

A person who behaves in a strange or unexpected way

test case
  • Jargon
9 6.1

A lawsuit brought to make a rule that applies to similar lawsuits

case officer
  • Jargon
8 7.5

A person who manages secret sources who give information to a spy agency

case history
  • Specialized
6 4.1

A detailed written record of a person's past medical and personal information

antitrust case
  • Specialized
4 5.6

A legal case against a company or person for breaking laws that keep business competition fair

4 9.9

A rude old word used for a person with a mental illness

A clear example that shows a typical situation very well

4 2.5

A glass cabinet that holds trophies and medals

3 2.7

A container that holds and protects a gun for carrying or storing

A small flat box for holding cigarettes in a pocket or purse

2 1.0

A small box or bag for keeping pencils, pens, and erasers

2 3.6

A flat rectangular bag with a hard frame for carrying papers

case load
  • Specialized
1 3.7

The amount of work a doctor, lawyer, or agency has from the people they must help in a period

welfare case
  • Jargon
1 4.9

A person or family who receives help from social services

A small letter of the alphabet that is not a capital

index case
  • Specialized
1 6.7

First known person in an outbreak who helps trace where the disease came from

trophy case
  • Texting
1 3.6

An online display that shows the trophies and badges you earn in games

case shot
  • Archaic
1 9.8

A metal cylinder filled with small balls fired from a cannon to spread them widely

1 8.6

A feeling of being tired and not wanting to work at the start of the week

1 1.0

A small hard box for keeping glasses safe

objective case
  • Specialized
1 7.4

The form words like him or them take when they are objects in a sentence

A small bag for clothes and items for one night's trip

1 2.3

A large strong box used to hold goods for storage or shipping

A large letter that begins names and sentences

1 3.9

A metal or plastic cover for a watch that protects its inner parts

case agreement
  • Specialized
8.5

When a noun and words that describe it show the same case

A small knife with a fixed blade carried in a sheath

A knife with a rounded end used for spreading butter and eating soft foods

9.9

A state when your thinking is slow and unclear after drinking too much alcohol

8.4

The part of people who have a disease and die from it, often shown as a percent

case-hardened steel
  • Specialized
6.7

Steel with a very hard surface and a softer inside to resist wear

Being emotionally hard and not showing feelings because of bad experiences

case-hardened
  • Specialized
7.3

With a hard outer surface and a softer inner core to make it stronger

9.9

A short time when someone feels very lazy

A lawsuit a husband brings because another man has sex with his wife

A funny phrase for feeling stuck and bored in a long meeting or at home

9.9

A strong, unnecessary worry about liberal ideas

9.9

Tiredness that comes after driving for a long time

9.6

A short time when students feel very tired or do not want to study

9.9

Soreness in the thumb from using a phone too much

The percentage of infections that become known as cases

6.3

A number that shows how many infected people become sick

9.7

A clear example of someone acting foolish while thinking they are smart

9.9

A tray with small sections that hold letters for printing pages

dative case
  • Specialized
9.1

A noun form that shows the person who receives something or benefits from an action

dispatch case
  • Formal
7.8

A small lockable case for carrying important papers like letters or legal documents

dressing case
  • Archaic
7.5

A small box for keeping brushes, bottles, and toiletries when you travel

A tropical bean plant with red flowers that grows black beans with white spots you can eat

ablative case
  • Specialized
9.9

A noun form in some languages that shows movement away or how something is done

accusative case
  • Specialized
8.6

The form of a noun or pronoun used as the direct object of a verb

9.9

A noun with 's that shows who owns or is closely connected to something

locative case
  • Specialized
9.9

A word form that shows where something is or happens

2.5

A small cup made of paper, foil, or silicone that holds batter while baking

gear case
  • Specialized
4.1

A metal cover that holds and protects gears in a machine or vehicle

genitive case
  • Specialized
7.2

A grammatical form that shows possession or a close relationship, usually shown with 's

grammatical case
  • Specialized
6.7

Different forms of nouns or pronouns that show their role in a sentence

nominative case
  • Specialized
8.6

The form of a noun or pronoun used as the subject of a sentence

oblique case
  • Specialized
9.9

A form of a noun used as an object or after a preposition

possessive case
  • Specialized
4.4

A word form that shows who something belongs to, for example John's book

A small baked pastry cup that holds creamy fillings like chicken or mushrooms as an appetizer

2.0

A box for keeping hand tools like screwdrivers or wrenches

9.9

A court action to get money when someone causes harm indirectly

spore case
  • Specialized
7.2

A small bag on a plant or fungus that holds tiny parts for making new plants

How Serious

serious issue
41 3.0
case
5.1
minor detail
6 3.2

Surface Forms

case singular
cases plural

Etymology

Case for a person or subject comes from the Latin word casus meaning 'an event' or 'what happened', so a 'case' is someone or something that is a special subject of attention or study.