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n. Idioms: 1. An instance or occurrence of a particular kind or category: a case of mistaken identity. See Synonyms at example. 2. An occurrence of a disease or disorder: a mild case of flu. 3. A set of circumstances or a state of affairs; a situation: It may rain, in which case the hike will be canceled. 4. Actual fact; reality: We suspected the walls were hollow, and this proved to be the case. 5. A question or problem; a matter: It is simply a case of honor. 6. A situation that requires investigation, especially by a formal or official body. 7. Law a. An action or a suit or just grounds for an action. b. The facts or evidence offered in support of a claim. 8. A set of reasons or supporting facts; an argument: presented a good case for changing the law. 9. A person being assisted, treated, or studied, as by a physician, lawyer, or social worker. 10. Informal A peculiar or eccentric person; a character. 11. Linguistics a. In traditional grammar, a distinct form of a noun, pronoun, or modifier that is used to express one or more particular syntactic relationships to other words in a sentence. b. Case In some varieties of generative grammar, the thematic or semantic role of a noun phrase as represented abstractly but not necessarily indicated overtly in surface structure. In such frameworks, nouns in English have Case even in the absence of inflectional case endings. in any case Regardless of what has occurred or will occur. in case 1. If it happens that; if: In case she dies without heirs, her money will go to charity. 2. To be prepared for the possibility that: bring the charger in case the battery runs low. 3. As a precaution: took along an umbrella, just in case. in case of If there should happen to be: a number to call in case of emergency. off (someone's) case No longer nagging or urging someone to do something. on (someone's) case Persistently nagging or urging someone to do something. [Middle English cas, from Old French, from Latin cāsus, from past participle of cadere, to fall; see kad- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
