best-case
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of best-case
First recorded in 1975–80
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.
"Even in the best-case scenario, the enduring effects from the conflict will be with us for a while."
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
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
It might speed up the process, but best-case scenario, she wouldn’t be able to put any weight on her foot for a day or more.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
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.
