in case
Idioms-
Also, just in case . If it should happen that. For example, In case he doesn't show up, we have a backup speaker . The variant also is used without a following clause to mean simply “as a precaution,” as in I took an umbrella just in case . [c. 1400]
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in case of ; in the event of . If there should happen to be. For example, Here is a number to call in case of an emergency , or In the event of a power failure, we'll have to shift our plans . Similarly, in that case means “if that should happen,” as in You're alone in the store? In that case I'll bring your lunch . The first usage dates from the early 1700s, the second (with event ) from about 1600, and the third from the mid-1800s. Also see in any case ; in no case ; in the case of .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When Patel began working as a federal attorney, her boss advised her to save up her vacation days in case she eventually wanted to have children and needed to take leave.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
I’m also holding on to a Crate & Barrel coupon from the change-of-address packet in case there’s something I need later.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
"It's not suddenly going to whiz past and you'll miss it. It's worth waiting around just in case the clouds move on."
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
If you marry, brace yourself in case her SSI disappears.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
“We were drafting a curse on you and your house in case you decided not to play with us anymore.”
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
