in case
558
1.0
- idiom
:
por si
- Several programs also have liability insurance for their volunteers, in case there is ever a problem.
- just in case
- a backup in case
- in case of failure
Hint, it's science, in case you didn't know who I was.
- Hint, it's science, in case you didn't know who I was.
- The treasures preserved therein are his own in case of need.
- Who are they counting on to pay in case the asset goes bad?
- My name is Sarah Ray Vargas in case you didn't know.
- I'll tell you the story in case it is helpful.
- the Second Amendment is there in case the first doesn't work out.
- That ain't my signature in case I ever want to dispute the charges.
- I still have my card in case all else fails.
- Thanks, McKay, but he's Mormon, in case anybody doesn't know.
- My name is Sarah Vargas, in case you didn't know.
- Sparks, did you prepare yourself with some questions in case there's some awkward lulls?
- But what I got was on the wait list in case somebody dropped out.
Examples
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A light always burned there in case Emma had to use the bathroom during the night.
Fiction book (1990) -
I still have my card in case all else fails.
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We're better off up here in case anybody comes home.
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We'll fix the car just in case.
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We'll leave it all in the closet in case you change your mind.
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What's your Plan B in case this doesn't work out?
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I just keep my Ray Bans in here in case it's super sunny.
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I always carry a flashlight in my bag in case the power goes out.
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Make sure to bring an umbrella in case it rains during the picnic.
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She packed extra snacks in case the kids get hungry on the trip.
Synonyms
256
3.3
To be ready for something that might happen
How Cautious
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'as a precaution; if something happens' is directly derivable from combining 'in' (within/inside) with 'case' (a particular situation) — i.e. 'in the case (that) ...' → 'if/in the event that ...'. This compositional pattern has clear equivalents in many languages (e.g. Spanish 'en caso de', French 'au cas où') and follows a regular semantic logic, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will very likely understand it.
Etymology
In case comes from the idea of a case as a certain situation. Think of taking an umbrella 'in case' it rains — you take it to be ready for that situation. That's why in case means 'if something happens' or 'as a precaution'.