case study

American  

noun

1. a study of an individual unit, as a person, family, or social group, usually emphasizing developmental issues and relationships with the environment, especially in order to compare a larger group to the individual unit.

2. case history.

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case study British  

noun

1. the act or an instance of analysing one or more particular cases or case histories with a view to making generalizations

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Etymology

Origin of case study

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

At Microsoft, she revitalized Western European operations by changing the office environment, which had been riddled with internal rivalries and a lack of collaboration, work that was chronicled in a Harvard Business Review case study.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

As my former boss Marty Baron told my former colleague Ruth Marcus in the New Yorker in February, Bezos’ turnaround has been “sickening” to witness: “a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Humira is just one example, but it’s a fascinating case study for understanding how healthcare costs have gotten so horribly out of control and what’s needed to fix it.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

Situated in the east end of Glasgow, the area was, at one point, a case study in how not to build new housing developments.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

This particular case study on West African music relies solely on aural learning, which means that a rote method is applicable to the music learning.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Related Words

• medical history