- 1[countable] a particular situation or a situation of a particular type In some cases, people have had to wait several weeks for an appointment. The company only dismisses its employees in cases of gross misconduct. It's a classic case (= a very typical case) of bad planning. see worst-case Thesaurusexample
- case
- instance
- specimen
- illustration
- example something such as an object, a fact, or a situation that shows, explains, or supports what you say; a thing that is typical of or represents a particular group or set:Can you give me an example of what you mean?
- case a particular situation or a situation of a particular type; a situation that relates to a particular person or thing:In some cases people have had to wait several weeks for an appointment.
- instance (somewhat formal) a particular situation or a situation of a particular type:The report highlights a number of instances of injustice.
- specimen an example of something, especially an animal or a plant:The aquarium has some interesting specimens of tropical fish.
- illustration (somewhat formal) a story, an event, or an example that clearly shows the truth about something:The statistics are a clear illustration of the point I am trying to make.
- An illustration is often used to show that something is true. An example is used to help to explain something.
- a(n) example/case/instance/specimen/illustration of something
- in a particular case/instance
- for example/instance
- circumstances
- position
- conditions
- things
- the case
- state of affairs
- situation all the things that are happening at a particular time and in a particular place:the current economic situation
- circumstances the facts that are connected with and affect a situation, an event, or an action; the conditions of a person's life, especially the money they have:The ship sank in mysterious circumstances.
- position the situation that someone is in, especially when it affects what they can and cannot do:She knew that she was in a position of power.
- conditions the circumstances in which people live, work, or do things; the physical situation that affects how something happens:We were forced to work outside in freezing conditions.
- Circumstances often refers to someone's financial situation;conditions are things such as the quality and amount of food or shelter they have. The circumstances that affect an event are the facts surrounding it; the conditions that affect it are usually physical ones, such as the weather.
- things (somewhat informal) the general situation, as it affects someone:Hi, Jane! How are things? Think things over before you decide.
- the case the true situation:If that is the case (= if the situation described is true), we need more staff.
- state of affairs a situation:Well, this is certainly a sorry state of affairs.
- State of affairs is mostly used with this. It is also used with adjectives describing how good or bad a situation is, such as happy, sorry, shocking, and sad, as well as those relating to time, such as present and current. Situation is much more frequent and is used in a wider variety of contexts.
- in (a) particular situation/circumstances/position/state of affairs
- the/somebody's economic/financial/social situation/circumstances/position/conditions
- (a/an) happy/fortunate/unfortunate/sad situation/circumstances/position/state of affairs
- to look at/review the situation/circumstances/conditions/things
- 2the case [singular] case (that…) the true situation If that is the case (= if the situation described is true), we need more staff. It is simply not the case that prison conditions are improving.
- 3[countable, usually singular] a situation that relates to a particular person or thing In your case, we are prepared to be lenient. I cannot make an exception in your case (= for you and not for others). Every application will be decided on a case-by-case basis (= each one will be considered separately). Thesaurusexample
- case
- instance
- specimen
- illustration
- example something such as an object, a fact, or a situation that shows, explains, or supports what you say; a thing that is typical of or represents a particular group or set:Can you give me an example of what you mean?
- case a particular situation or a situation of a particular type; a situation that relates to a particular person or thing:In some cases people have had to wait several weeks for an appointment.
- instance (somewhat formal) a particular situation or a situation of a particular type:The report highlights a number of instances of injustice.
- specimen an example of something, especially an animal or a plant:The aquarium has some interesting specimens of tropical fish.
- illustration (somewhat formal) a story, an event, or an example that clearly shows the truth about something:The statistics are a clear illustration of the point I am trying to make.
- An illustration is often used to show that something is true. An example is used to help to explain something.
- a(n) example/case/instance/specimen/illustration of something
- in a particular case/instance
- for example/instance
police investigation - 4[countable] a matter that is being officially investigated, especially by the police a murder case a case of theft Topic CollocationsCrimecommitting a crime
- commit a crime/a murder/a violent assault/a brutal killing/an armed robbery/fraud/perjury
- be involved in terrorism/a suspected arson attack/human smuggling/human trafficking
- engage/participate in criminal activity/illegal practices/acts of mindless vandalism
- steal somebody's wallet/purse/watch/cell phone
- rob a bank/a person/a tourist
- break into/burglarize a house/a home/an apartment/an office
- hijack a plane/ship/bus
- smuggle drugs/weapons/arms/people/immigrants
- launder (drug) money (through something)
- forge documents/certificates/passports
- take/accept/pay somebody/offer (somebody) a bribe
- run a phishing scam/an e-mail scam/an Internet scam
- combat/fight crime/terrorism/drug trafficking/corruption
- prevent/stop credit-card fraud/child abuse/software piracy
- deter/stop criminals/burglars/thieves/shoplifters/vandals
- reduce/tackle/crack down on gun/violent/street/property crime
- foil a bank robbery/a terrorist plot
- help/support/protect the victims of crime
- report a crime/a theft/a rape/an attack/an incident to the police
- witness a crime/an attack/a murder/an incident
- investigate a murder/a homicide/a burglary/a robbery/the alleged incident
- conduct/launch/pursue/open an investigation (into…)
- investigate/reopen a criminal/murder case
- examine/investigate/find fingerprints at the crime scene/the scene of crime
- collect/gather forensic evidence/physical evidence
- uncover/discover new evidence/a fraud/a scam/a plot/a conspiracy/political corruption/a cache of weapons
- describe/identify a suspect/the culprit/the perpetrator/the assailant/the attacker
- question/interrogate a suspect/witness
- solve/crack the case
- ⇨ more collocations at
in court - 5[countable] a question to be decided in court The case will be heard next week. a court case to win/lose a case When does her case go to trial? see test case arguments
- 6[countable, usually singular] case (for/against something) a set of facts or arguments that support one side in a trial, a discussion, etc. the case for the defense/prosecution Our lawyer didn't think we had a case (= had enough good arguments to win in a court of law). the case for/against private education The report makes a strong case (= gives good arguments) for spending more money on hospitals. You will each be given the chance to state your case. container
- 7[countable] (often in compounds) a container or covering used to protect or store things; a container with its contents or the amount that it contains a pencil case a jewelry case a packing case (= a large wooden box for packing things in) The museum was full of fossils in glass cases. a case (= 12 bottles) of champagne see also vanity case
- 8[countable] the fact of someone having a disease or an injury; a person suffering from a disease or an injury a severe case of typhoid The most serious cases were treated at the scene of the accident. person
- 9[countable] a person who needs, or is thought to need, special treatment or attention He's a hopeless case. grammar
- 10[countable, uncountable] the form of a noun, an adjective, or a pronoun in some languages, that shows its relationship to another word the nominative/accusative/genitive case Latin nouns have case, number, and gender. Idioms
- The Web site has a variety of interactive exercises (e.g., matching games, crosswords, and quizzes).
- The Web site has a variety of interactive exercises, including matching games, crosswords, and quizzes.
- Web 2.0 technologies, such as wikis, blogs, and social networking sites, have changed the way that people use the Internet.
- Many Web sites now allow users to contribute information. A good example of this is the “wiki,” a type of Web site that anyone can edit.
- Wikis vary in how open they are. For example, some wikis allow anybody to edit content, while others only allow registered users to do this.
- Wikis vary in how open they are. Some wikis, for example/for instance, allow anybody to edit content, while others only allow registered users to do this.
- More and more people read their news on the Internet. To take one example, over 18 million people visited the “New York Times” Web site in December.
- Online newspapers are now more popular than paper ones. The “Los Angeles Times”is a case in point. Its print circulation has fallen in recent years, while its Web site attracts millions of users every month.
- 1I rest my case (sometimes humorous) used to say that you do not need to say any more about something because you think that you have proved your point
- 2(law) used by lawyers in court to say that they have finished presenting their case The prosecution rests its case.
situation
used to say that one of two or more possibilities is true, but which one is true depends on the circumstances There may be an announcement about this tomorrow—or not, as the case may be.
to criticize someone all the time She's always on my case about cleaning my room.
to be dealing with a particular matter, especially a criminal investigation We have two agents on the case.
a clear example of the problem, situation, etc. that is being discussed Language Banke.g.giving examples
used to tell someone to stop criticizing you
whatever happens or may have happened There's no point in complaining now—we're leaving tomorrow in any case.
because of the possibility of something happening You'd better take the keys in case I'm out. You probably won't need to call—but take my number, just in case. In case (= if it is true that) you're wondering why Joe is here—let me explain…
(often on official notices) if something happens In case of fire, ring the alarm bell.
if that happens or has happened; if that is the situation “I've made up my mind.” “In that case, there's no point discussing it.”
Check pronunciation: case