best-case

American  

[best-keys] / ˈbɛstˌkeɪs /

adjective

1. being the best result that could be expected under the circumstances.

   The best-case scenario shows her winning the nomination easily.

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Etymology

Origin of best-case

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

best-case

In the best-case scenario, he may “parole” you into the country as an “arriving alien”—forcing you into a legal limbo that makes you far more vulnerable to deportation and could stretch on indefinitely.

From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2026

A crack in a tank containing a toxic chemical may not sound like a cause for hope, but Elias Picazo, an assistant professor of chemistry at USC, said it might be the best-case scenario.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2026

"The best-case scenario is we put this in every single school in America and then never have to use it, right? Because it's got a deterrent quality to it," said King, a former Navy SEAL.

From Barron's ● May 15, 2026

“The best-case scenario is that other airlines step up to fill the void in an effort to carry some of these passengers,” said Kyle Potter, executive editor at deals website Thrifty Traveler.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026

So even in a death penalty advocate’s best-case scenario, capital punishment could explain only one twenty-fifth of the drop in homicides in the 1990s.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt