Cases: meaning, definitions and examples

Describes physical containers or objects to hold other items.

• The violin came in a beautiful wooden case.
• She bought a new phone case.

Refers to specific occurrences or events, often in discussions about frequency or repetition.

• There were several instances of people not following the rules.
• In this instance, the usual procedure was not followed.

Used to illustrate or clarify a point, often in instructional or educational contexts.

• The teacher gave several examples to explain the concept.
• This book is full of real-life examples.

Used to describe events or happenings, often in scientific or technical contexts.

• Occurrences of natural disasters are becoming more frequent.
• The researcher recorded the occurrences of various phenomena.

Refers to protective covers or containers for objects. Often seen in context with electronics, eyewear, weapons, or transportation.

• She bought a new case for her phone
• The violinist always kept his instrument in a protective case

Often used in linguistics to refer to the modification of a word to express different grammatical categories, like tense, mood, voice, aspect, person, number, gender, and case.

• The verb 'run' changes to 'ran' in the past tense as an inflection
• Different pronouns in English undergo inflection depending on their use in the sentence

Used in linguistics to describe the function of a noun or pronoun in a sentence, such as nominative, accusative, genitive, etc.

• In Latin, the grammatical case of a noun determines its role in the sentence
• The nominative case is typically the subject of the sentence

Specific instances in a legal or medical context, often used in singular or plural forms.

• The lawyer handled several high-profile cases last year.
• The doctor is reviewing her patient cases.

Used to refer to a specific example or situation, generally emphasizing a single occurrence.

• For instance, many people use public transport to get to work.
• In this instance, we need to apply a different strategy.

Specifically used within a medical context to describe a situation involving a particular patient, often in healthcare or clinical settings.

• The nurse has been assigned a new patient case.
• Each patient case requires careful documentation and follow-up.

Use this when referring to containers or situations. It is often found in everyday conversation.

• Please bring the case of water bottles to the picnic
• In case of emergency, dial 911

This word is commonly used when talking about looking into something deeply and carefully, often in the context of research, journalism, or law enforcement.

• The detective was assigned to investigate the robbery
• Scientists are investigating the effects of climate change

This word is suitable for describing a methodical examination or assessment, commonly used in contexts like research, market analysis, or geography.

• The company conducted a survey to understand customer satisfaction
• The geologists will survey the area for mineral resources

This word is often used to describe searching or exploring for something, especially in contexts like sports, talent searches, or informal exploration.

• The talent scout was impressed by the singer's performance
• They sent a scout ahead to find a safe camping site