case study

American  

noun

case studies plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• case studies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of case study

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

The prime minister had sought to seize this brief opportunity to project direction and delivery and saw the Defence Investment Plan, or DIP, as a case study in both.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

Lidl's pub isn't just a novelty, it's a case study in how Northern Ireland's unusual licensing rules shape who can open venues.

From BBC • May 31, 2026

“He’s kind of a case study in somebody who has a lot of opinions but has no idea of how the city is run,” Stevens said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026

“There will be an M.B.A. case study written about what you guys pulled off—I’m telling you,” Perry said to Neugebauer onstage at an October nuclear power conference.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 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