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.
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
Covey said crews were preparing for a chemical spill, which he described as a "best-case scenario" and far preferable to an explosion and toxic plume.
From Barron's ● May 23, 2026
But, under a best-case analysis of much lower emissions, the Ministry says "no decrease in tuna biomass" is predicted in the country's EEZ.
From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2026
“Of late, I’ve heard a great many worst-case scenarios presented. But I haven’t heard a single argument laid for the best-case scenario.”
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
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.
