case

KAYS/keɪs/

24 meanings of case

1
instancenouncountable
A particular situation, or one example of something happening.
It turned out to be a simple case of forgetting to set the alarm.
There have been many cases like this one before.
UsageTake an umbrella in case it rains means take one because it might rain. In this case means in this situation.
Similarinstance, example, situation, matter, occurrence
2
legal matternouncountable
A legal matter that is decided in a court.
The lawyer won the case in court last week.
Her case will be heard next month.
UsageYou win or lose a case.
Similarlawsuit, suit, action, trial
Note
3
illness countnouncountable
One example of an illness or other health problem in one person.
The doctor saw a new case of the flu this morning.
There were five cases of food poisoning after the party.
UsageSay a case of flu.
Similarinstance, occurrence
Note
4
nouncountable
A real example that people study to learn from it.
The class studied one case in detail.
Students compared several cases from history.
UsageOften case study.
Similarexample, instance
Note
5
protective covernouncountable
A box or cover that holds something or keeps it safe, like a phone case or a computer case.
She slipped her glasses into a soft case.
The knife came with a leather case.
UsagePut the thing it holds first: a pencil case, a glasses case.
Similarcontainer, box, holder, cover
6
argument fornouncountable
The facts and reasons someone gives to show that an idea or plan is right, as in make a case for something.
Maya made a good case for getting a class pet.
There's a strong case for starting school later in the morning.
UsageYou can make a case for or against something.
Similarargument
Note
7
client matternouncountable
A crime, problem or person's situation that a professional, such as a detective or social worker, deals with.
The social worker took on a new case this week.
She has too many cases to handle on her own.
UsageOn the case means working on it.
8
box of goodsnouncountable
A box that holds a fixed number of the same thing, like 24 cans of beer.
The store ordered a case of canned soup.
These pens are cheaper if you buy a whole case.
UsageSay a case of water.
Similarcrate, carton, box, pack

Less common meanings

9
glass boxnouncountable
A piece of furniture with glass sides used to show things off.
The store keeps its rings in a glass case.
Trophies filled the cases along the wall.
UsageOften a display case.
Similarcabinet, showcase
10
capital lettersnouncountable or uncountable
Whether a letter is written as a big capital or a small one.
Make sure the case of each letter is correct.
Many passwords depend on the case of the letters you type.
UsageSay upper case or lower case.
Similarcapitalization
Note
11
travel bagnouncountable
A bag with a handle for carrying clothes when you travel.
She packed her case for the weekend trip.
His cases were too heavy to lift onto the train.
Similarsuitcase, bag
12
word endingnouncountable
In grammar, the form a word takes to show its job in a sentence, such as subject or object.
In Latin, the case of a noun shows what it does in the sentence.
English pronouns change case from 'he' to 'him'.
UsageSay the genitive case.
Note
13
spy outverbcolloquialtransitive
To secretly look over a place before robbing it.
Like a cat watching a bird carefully before it pounces.
The robbers cased the store for days before they broke in.
He wanted to case the house first to learn the guard's routine.
UsageYou can say case the joint or name the place: case a bank.
Similarscout, survey, reconnoiter
Note
14
verbtransitive
To put something into a box or cover it with a case.
Like wrapping a gift in a box to keep it safe.
After the show, he cased his guitar and loaded it into the van.
They case each engine in steel before it leaves the plant.
Similarbox, enclose, house, pack
15
nounUScountable
A set amount of drinks counted in sales, equal to 192 fluid ounces.
Like counting drinks by the boxful instead of one at a time.
Each case counts as 192 fluid ounces in their sales records.
In sales reports, big bottles and small cans are all counted in cases.
Note
16
programmingnouncountable
A part of a program that runs when a certain choice is matched.
Each case in the switch handles one button.
The program crashed because he forgot to add a case for zero in the switch.
Similarbranch, clause
Note
17
nounarchaic
A romance or love affair between two people.
I thought it only an amourette when you told me. It was a fire — a conflagration; subdue it. I saw it was a case, and I advised you to try — dissipation.
1876, The New York Drama, volumes 1-2Here, case means a love affair, someone being in love.
Poor fellow, just as I thought! It's a case with him, anybody can see that. He is thinking about Christine, for a certainty. Lovers always take to stargazing and moonlight dreaming — it's part of their complaint.
1867, The Young Ladies' JournalHere, case means being in love, a romance with someone.
Note
18
hardened surfacenouncountable
A thin, hard outer layer of metal over a softer inside.
Like a candy with a hard shell and a soft center.
Heat treatment gave the gear a hard case over a softer core.
The axle has a hard case on the outside and softer metal inside, so it won't crack.
Similarskin, shell, layer
Oppositecore
19
printing traynounhistoricalcountable
A flat tray with small boxes that printers used to hold metal letters.
Like a drawer with many small sections, one for each kind of letter.
The printer reached into the case for another letter.
Each wooden case held hundreds of metal letters.
Note
20
nounslangcountable
In poker, four cards that all have the same number or rank.
Note
21
adjectiveslang
Used for the last card of one rank still left to come.
Like the very last cookie of one flavor left in the jar.
He needed the case ace to complete his hand.
She drew the case king on the final round.
Note
22
nouncountable
A small crack that lets water leak into a mine.
Similarfissure, crack
23
nounobsoleteUK
A fake five-shilling coin made to trick people.
The price of a case (five shillings piece bad) from the smasher is about one shilling; an alderman (two and sixpence) about sixpence; a peg (shilling) about threepence; a downer or sprat (sixpence) about twopence.
1859, Snowden's magistrates assistantHere, case means a fake five-shilling coin passed off as real money.
Note
24
verbobsoleteintransitive
To put forward pretend situations so people can talk them through.
Casing upon the Matter.
1692, Roger L’Estrange, FablesHere, casing means imagining possible situations to discuss or argue about a matter.
Note

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–4, 6–7, 12, 16–17, 24

From Latin cāsus meaning 'a fall' or 'an event', from cadō 'to fall'. It came into English through Old French.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts

Case derives from Latin cāsus through Old French. en.wiktionary.org
Latin cāsus means a fall or an event. en.wiktionary.org
Cāsus derives from cadō, meaning to fall. en.wiktionary.org
Case entered English through Old French. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 5, 8–11, 13–15, 18–23

From Latin capsa meaning 'box', from capiō 'to take, hold'. It came into English through Old French.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

Case in the container sense derives from Latin capsa, meaning 'box'. en.wiktionary.org
Capsa derives from capiō, meaning 'to take, hold'. en.wiktionary.org
The word entered English through Old French, specifically Old Northern French. en.wiktionary.org