Case Situation People I Point Court Evidence Keɪs

• 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.
• can you give me an example of what you mean?

case

1. a particular situation or a situation of a particular type
• see also worst-case
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/worst-case
• 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.
• Can you give me an example of what you mean?
• In some cases people have had to wait several weeks for an appointment.
• The report highlights a number of instances of injustice.
• The aquarium has some interesting specimens of unusual tropical fish.
• The statistics are a clear illustration of the point I am trying to make.
• the present economic situation
• The ship sank in mysterious circumstances.
• She felt she was in a position of power.
• We were forced to work outside in freezing conditions.
• Hi, Jane! How are things?
• Think things over before you decide.
• If that is the case (= if the situation described is true), we need more staff.
• How did this unhappy state of affairs come about?
2. 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. 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).
• Can you give me an example of what you mean?
• In some cases people have had to wait several weeks for an appointment.
• The report highlights a number of instances of injustice.
• The aquarium has some interesting specimens of unusual tropical fish.
• The statistics are a clear illustration of the point I am trying to make.
4. a matter that is being officially investigated, especially by the police
• a murder case
• a case of theft
5. a question to be decided in court
• see also test case
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/test-case
• The case will be heard next week.
• a court case
• to win/lose a case
• When does her case come before the court?
6. a set of facts or arguments that support one side in a trial, a discussion, etc.
• the case for the defence/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 out a strong case (= gives good arguments) for spending more money on hospitals.
• You will each be given the chance to state your case.
7. a container or covering used to protect or store things; a container with its contents or the amount that it contains
• see also vanity case
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/vanity-case
• a pencil case
• a jewellery case
• a packing case (= a large wooden box for packing things in)
• The museum was full of stuffed animals in glass cases.
• a case (= 12 bottles) of champagne
• = suitcase
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/suitcase
• Let me carry your case for you.
8. the fact of somebody 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.
9. a person who needs, or is thought to need, special treatment or attention
• He's a hopeless case.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. to criticize somebody all the time
• She's always on my case about cleaning my room.
13. to be dealing with a particular matter, especially a criminal investigation
• We have two agents on the case.
14. a clear example of the problem, situation, etc. that is being discussed
• The website has a variety of interactive exercises (e.g. matching games, crosswords and quizzes).
• The website 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 websites now allow users to contribute information. A good example of this is the ‘wiki’, a type of website 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 14 million people now read the online version of ‘The Oxford Herald’.
• Online newspapers are now more popular than paper ones. ‘The Oxford Herald’ is a case in point. Its print circulation has fallen in recent years, while its website attracts millions of users every month.
15. a situation in business, politics, etc. where there is a lot of competition and people are willing to harm each other in order to succeed
• I'm afraid in this line of work it's a case of dog eat dog.
• We're operating in a dog-eat-dog world.
16. used to tell somebody to stop criticizing you
17. whatever happens or may have happened
• There's no point complaining now—we're leaving tomorrow in any case.
18. 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 Jo’s here—let me explain…
19. if something happens
• In case of fire, ring the alarm bell.
20. 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.’
21. used to say that you do not need to say any more about something because you think that you have proved your point
22. used by lawyers in court to say that they have finished presenting their case
• The prosecution rests its case.

Extra Examples

• A strong case exists for adopting a similar system in this country.
• About 25% of AIDS cases are linked with the sharing of needles.
• After the exams, the teacher gave all borderline cases a spoken test.
• As a lawyer he was involved in high-profile divorce cases.
• Carter was the senior case officer on the investigation.
• Complaints are dealt with on a case by case basis.
• Except in a few rare cases, bee stings are not dangerous.
• Four officers are investigating the case.
• He brought a case challenging the legality of the war.
• He brought the case to the Supreme Court.
• He had a bad case of appendicitis.
• He highlighted the case of Harry Farr, 25, who was executed for cowardice in 1916.
• He highlighted the case of Harry Farr, who was executed in 1916.
• He put the binoculars back in their carrying case.
• He was looking through some homicide case files.
• He was so clearly innocent, the case should never have gone to court.
• I agree with him, but don’t you think he slightly overstates the case?
• I thought she argued her case very well.
• In Polish the verb ‘to be’ takes the instrumental case.
• In her case, she failed the exam because she wasn’t well.
• Is there a case against wearing school uniforms?
• It remains the case that not enough graduates are going into teaching.
• It was a simple case of mistaken identity.
• Let’s consider the case of a dealer trying to make a sale.
• Many professions feel they deserve higher pay, and nurses are a case in point.
• Medical students study the case histories of many patients.
• No lawyer would take his case.
• Our lawyer didn’t think we had a case.
• She kept all her trophies in a display case.
• The Department of Health reported five human cases of bird flu.
• The case against her collapsed when a key witness was proved to have lied.
• The case against her was very weak.
• The case came before Judge Hales in the Crown Court.
• The case hinged on the evidence of the only witness to the killing.
• The case raises a number of issues.
• The case was settled out of court.
• The case was thrown out for lack of evidence.
• The case will be heard in a higher court.
• The committee has full powers to deal with any cases of malpractice that arise.
• The defendant requested more time to prepare his case.
• The disciplinary committee considered the merits of his case before fining him.
• The judge ruled that the defendant had no case to answer, as the evidence had been discredited.
• The jury are required to be unanimous in death-penalty cases.
• The local MP has taken up the case of the family of six who have been left homeless.
• The prosecution decided to drop the case.
• The room was full of stuffed animals in glass cases.
• The teacher must judge each case according to its merits.
• The union has taken up the case of the suspended worker.
• The victim decided to bring a case of rape against him.
• There have been documented cases of officials accepting bribes.
• There have been no confirmed cases of BSE in the US.
• There is a good prima facie case for believing what she says.
• They never solved the Jones murder case.
• This is a test case which will influence what other judges decide.
• This was the hardest case she had handled since becoming a lawyer.
• Two million new cases of hypertension are diagnosed each year.
• What evidence do you have to support your case?
• With his current superb form, he presents an unanswerable case for selection in the team.
• You can make out a case for changing our teaching methods.
• a case against wearing business attire
• a case of animal cruelty
• a case study of an Amazonian tribe
• a compensation case involving thousands of workers
• a gold watch in a presentation case
• a severe case of food poisoning
• cases alleging violations of international law
• the evidence in the case
• the notorious case of the Botley strangler
• He claims there has never been a case of food poisoning at his restaurant.
• He had contracted a severe case of pneumonia.
• I cannot make an exception in your case.
• I left my cases at the hotel and set off to meet him.
• In this case, we are prepared to be lenient.
• It’s a classic case of bad planning.
• Over 500 000 cases of cholera were reported in 1991.
• Police believe it is a simple case of theft.
• She lost the case and was ordered to pay legal fees.
• She wanted to pack her case and leave immediately.
• Take the case of Henry Farr, 25, executed for cowardice in 1916.
• The book is about the notorious case of the Lindbergh kidnapping.
• The new evidence weakened the case for the defence.
• The report makes out a strong case for spending more money on hospitals.
• The winner will receive a case of champagne.
• They put their cases in the boot and drove off.
• a packing case
• the case for the defence/prosecution

Word Origin

• noun senses 1 to 6 and noun senses 9 to 11 Middle English: from Old French cas, from Latin casus ‘fall’, related to cadere ‘to fall’; in sense (11) directly from Latin, translating Greek ptōsis, literally ‘fall’. noun senses 7 to 8 late Middle English: from Old French casse, chasse (modern caisse ‘trunk, chest’, châsse ‘reliquary, frame’), from Latin capsa, related to capere ‘to hold’.