extent or range of view, outlook, application, operation, effectiveness, etc..
an investigation of wide scope.
space for movement or activity; opportunity for operation.
to give one's fancy full scope.
extent in space; a tract or area.
length.
a scope of cable.
aim or purpose.
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.
(used as a short form of microscope, oscilloscope, periscope, radarscope, riflescope, telescopic sight, etc.)
opportunity for exercising the faculties or abilities; capacity for action
plenty of scope for improvement
range of view, perception, or grasp; outlook
the area covered by an activity, topic, etc; range
the scope of his thesis was vast
nautical slack left in an anchor cable
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 )
informal short for telescope microscope oscilloscope
archaic purpose or aim
See range.
First recorded in 1525–35; from Italian scopo, from Greek skopós “aim, mark to shoot at”; akin to skopeîn “to look at” ( see -scope)
< New Latin -scopium < Greek -skopion, -skopeion, equivalent to skop ( eîn ) to look at (akin to sképtesthai to look, view carefully; cf. skeptic) + -ion, -eion noun suffix
Business people like to use the word scope because it specifies the extent of their responsibilities. Once you know the scope of a project, you can decide if you're qualified and how much time it will take to do it. If your boss gives you a new task and you don't want to do it, tell him or her it's not within the scope of your duties. A scope is also a device used to see something in the distance. You'll find one on shotguns, submarines, radars and the like. You can use scope as a verb meaning "to look out or around." When you and your friends go out, you probably scope out a few places to see where the action is.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Investors seem to be worried about the scope of the company’s spending on infrastructure and acquisitions to support the development of generative artificial intelligence technology.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
There should be scope for a better deal for the UK, but it raises an interesting question about whether the government will pursue an EU-style ban.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
“It enabled us to expand the scope in ways that wouldn’t have been feasible before,” Sarandos said.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
UC leaders said the new plan does not change the scope of the earlier road map but accelerates it, moving the testing decision timeline up by about four months.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
The sheer scope and number of tattoos and piercings would have Mamma fainting.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
The employees worked at faster paces, took on broader scopes of tasks and ended up working more hours.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
Sewer scopes allow plumbers to get a clear visual all the way down in the pipes.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 22, 2024
He said those delays would put Orsted in "a situation where we would need to go out and recontract all or very large scopes of the project at expectedly higher prices."
From Reuters ● Nov. 3, 2023
Vitale, on social media Tuesday, said he will have two scopes within the next five days to determine if his 35 radiation treatments “wiped out” his vocal cord cancer.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 11, 2023
I focus my attention on a lethal-looking bow so loaded down with scopes and gadgetry, I’m certain I can’t even lift it, let alone shoot it.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
It said residents and workers suffered while the council "dither around a deal already scoped out at conciliation service Acas".
From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2026
Those goals, he argued, were "scoped and reasonable objectives that can be attained."
From Barron's ● Mar. 3, 2026
More than a decade ago, Honnold scoped out Taipei 101 for a National Geographic special, but the project never materialized.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
By then the third team, most likely, was laying low in the Coromandel Peninsula town of Thames, a spot scoped out by Christine Cabon months before.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2025
I scoped across the water and remembered again that we lived on an actual island.
From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore
He is in Norway this month scoping out locations to add to his company’s itineraries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
Ardern and her husband were seen scoping out properties for sale in Sydney's beachside northern suburbs of Freshwater and Curl Curl, property website realestate.com.au said.
From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026
Published under the title "Microplastics and Global Warming: A Hidden Climate Threat Uncovered in a New Perspective," the study provides a scoping review of existing research.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 17, 2026
The companies are currently scoping out demand and seeking commitments from customers in what is known as an “open season.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2025
I sat for a while scoping out the place, and slowly began dancing by myself in the corner of the dance floor.
From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah
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.
