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Synonyms

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.


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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of case study

First recorded in 1930–35

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.

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

“There will be an M.B.A. case study written about what you guys pulled off—I’m telling you.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

The Siri voice system, along with Amazon’s Alexa, will become a Harvard case study on missed opportunity.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 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

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

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