case

A particular situation or example of something happening.

• In this case, you are right.
• Most cases are easy to explain.
• That is not always the case.

How to use it: in someone’s case (In her case, the treatment worked quickly.); be the case (I thought the shop was closed, but that was not the case.)

Similar words: situation, instance

Common phrases: in this case, in most cases, particular case, be the case

A container that holds or protects something.

• Put your glasses in their case.
• She opened the violin case.
• These cases protect phones from damage.

How to use it: a case for something (I bought a case for my new glasses.)

Similar words: container, holder

Common phrases: phone case, pencil case, guitar case, leather case

A matter that police investigate or that a court decides.

• The police solved the case.
• Her case will go to court tomorrow.
• The lawyer handled several difficult cases.

How to use it: a case against someone (The police are building a case against the suspect.)

Similar words: legal matter

Common phrases: court case, criminal case, solve a case, case against someone

A form of a word that shows its job in a sentence.

• This noun is in the dative case.
• German uses four cases.
• Which case follows this preposition?

How to use it: in the … case (This noun is in the genitive case.)

Common phrases: nominative case, accusative case, genitive case, case ending

A person with a particular character or problem, especially someone difficult to help or change.

• He is a hopeless case.
• That boy is a hard case, but his teacher likes him.
• She works patiently with even the toughest cases.

Similar words: character

Common phrases: hard case, hopeless case, tough case

The grammar feature that uses word forms to show their jobs in sentences.

• We are studying case in Russian.
• Case helps show how nouns relate to other words.
• Some languages express case through changes to word endings.

Common phrases: study case, case marking, case system, grammatical case

To watch a building secretly for a period of time, especially as part of a police investigation.

• Two officers cased the house overnight.
• Detectives are casing the warehouse while they wait for the suspect.
• The police cased the building from a parked car.

Similar words: watch, keep watch on

Common phrases: case a house, case the building

The only card of a particular value that has not yet been played or seen.

• He drew the case ace.
• The case eight was still in the deck.
• She won when the case king appeared.

Common phrases: case ace, case eight, case king