scope

¹

[skohp]

noun

1. extent or range of view, outlook, application, operation, effectiveness, etc..

   an investigation of wide scope.

2. space for movement or activity; opportunity for operation.

   to give one's fancy full scope.

   Synonyms: liberty, room, sweep, reach, range, extent, breadth, ambit

3. extent in space; a tract or area.

4. length.

   a scope of cable.

5. aim or purpose.

6. Linguistics, Logic.,  the range of words or elements of an expression over which a modifier or operator has control.

   In “old men and women,” “old” may either take “men and women” or just “men” in its scope.

7. (used as a short form of microscope, oscilloscope, periscope, radarscope, riflescope, telescopic sight, etc.)

verb (used with object)

scoped, scoping 

1. Slang.,  to look at, read, or investigate, as in order to evaluate or appreciate.

verb phrase

1. scope out

   1. to look at or over; examine; check out.

      a rock musician scoping out the audience before going on stage.

   2. to master; figure out.

      By the time we'd scoped out the problem, it was too late.

-scope

²

1. a combining form meaning “instrument for viewing,” used in the formation of compound words.

   telescope.

scope

¹

/ skəʊp /

noun

1. opportunity for exercising the faculties or abilities; capacity for action

   plenty of scope for improvement

2. range of view, perception, or grasp; outlook

3. the area covered by an activity, topic, etc; range

   the scope of his thesis was vast

4. nautical slack left in an anchor cable

5. logic linguistics that part of an expression that is governed by a given operator: the scope of the negation in PV– ( q ∧ r ) is –( q ∧ r )

6. informal,  short for telescope microscope oscilloscope

7. archaic,  purpose or aim

verb

1. informal,  to look at or examine carefully

-scope

²

combining form

1. indicating an instrument for observing, viewing, or detecting

   microscope

   stethoscope

Other Word Forms

• -scopic combining form
• scopeless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of scope¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Italian scopo, from Greek skopós “aim, mark to shoot at”; akin to skopeîn “to look at” ( -scope )

Origin of scope²

< New Latin -scopium < Greek -skopion, -skopeion, equivalent to skop ( eîn ) to look at (akin to sképtesthai to look, view carefully; skeptic ) + -ion, -eion noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of scope¹

C16: from Italian scopo goal, from Latin scopus, from Greek skopos target; related to Greek skopein to watch

Origin of scope²

from New Latin -scopium, from Greek -skopion, from skopein to look at

Synonym Study

See range.

Example Sentences

The investigation will assess the scope and safety consequences of FSD executing maneuvers that violate traffic safety, such as red light and lane changes into oncoming traffic.

Read more on Barron's

This was more limited in scope than what had seemed to be on the table in May.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

The decision not to impose tariffs on generics represents a major scaling-back of the scope of the Commerce Department’s tariff investigation into pharmaceuticals.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

“I think the gradual and careful approach remains appropriate and I see scope for further removal of policy restraint,” he said at a conference.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

On balance, the bank said it sees scope for a more accommodative monetary policy stance.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• breadth 
• capacity 
• extension 
• opportunity 
• outlook 
• purview 
• sphere