scope

[ skohp ]

/ skoʊp /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR scope ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.)

verb (used with object), scoped, scop·ing.

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

Verb Phrases

scope out, Slang.

to look at or over; examine; check out: a rock musician scoping out the audience before going on stage.
to master; figure out: By the time we'd scoped out the problem, it was too late.

QUIZZES

FOR LEXICAL ALIMENTATION, TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Nourish your vocabulary with a refresher on the words from the week of September 14–20, 2020!

Question 1 of 7

What does “blatherskite” mean?

a person given to voluble, empty talk.

an ancient Greek or Roman farce that depended for effect largely upon ludicrous actions and gestures.

a check whose amount has been raised by forgery before cashing.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of scope

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

SYNONYMS FOR scope

2 margin, room, liberty.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR scope ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for scope

1. See range.

OTHER WORDS FROM scope

scopeless, adjective

Words nearby scope

scooter, scoot over, scop, scopa, Scopas, scope, scope out, Scopes, Scopes trial, scoping, scoping study

Definition for scope (2 of 2)

-scope

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

Compare -scopy.

Origin of -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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for scope

The campaign is “much larger in scope and complexity than seasonal influenza or other previous outbreak-related vaccination responses,” said the playbook for states from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
U.S. outlines sweeping plan to provide free COVID-19 vaccines|Rachel Schallom|September 16, 2020|Fortune
Various organizations have already tried to reduce the scope of the new law, and some worrying provisions, though none mentioned here, have been removed.
Brazil’s “fake news” bill won’t solve its misinformation problem|Amy Nordrum|September 10, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Documents obtained by Voice of San Diego showed Zandvliet wrote many exemptions for reasons well outside the scope of accepted medical science.
Vaccine Exemption Doctor on Probation, Can No Longer Write Exemptions|Will Huntsberry|September 4, 2020|Voice of San Diego
One indication of the scope of those ambitions came recently, when Walmart surprised everyone by teaming up with Microsoft to bid on social-media platform TikTok.
America’s largest retailer is taking on Amazon Prime|Marc Bain|September 4, 2020|Quartz

My concerns are with the size, scope and speed of what is being reopened on Monday.
Morning Report: MTS Rejects Many Who Applied for Disabled Fare Reductions|Voice of San Diego|August 31, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Special praise goes to Kudrow for the way she broadened the scope of Valerie Cherish in Season 2.
‘The Comeback’ Finale: Give Lisa Kudrow All of the Awards|Kevin Fallon|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Most of the actions taken by prior presidents were more limited in size, scope and benefits.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: November 23|PunditFact.com|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The story of Alstory Simon has all the scope and scale, the cruel reversals, and pointless waste of proper tragedy.
Wrongly Imprisoned for 15 Years Thanks to an Innocence Project|Jacob Siegel|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I mean, most people on here are literally openly hoping for the leaks to continue and expand in scope and scale.
‘The Fappening’ Perpetuators Have a J.Law Come-to-Jesus Moment and ‘Cower With Shame’|Marlow Stern|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Because the federal government has become so ubiquitous and voracious, there seems to be no negotiating with its size and scope.
America’s Slumbering Secession Obsession|James Poulos|September 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And no one has done more to bring us that critical and creative freedom and enlargement of scope than Remy de Gourmont.
The Book of Masks|Remy de Gourmont
The scope focused first on a bulging, monster, antiquated freighter of a design that had not been built for a hundred years.
The Pirates of Ersatz|Murray Leinster
The Servian Government will increase the severity and scope of its measures against the smuggling of arms and explosives.
The Evidence in the Case|James M. Beck
They got his deposition, because the boy, I know, put his scope on his rifle for him.
Warren Commission (10 of 26): Hearings Vol. X (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
Your request is not exactly in the scope of the reference department, but I shall be only too pleased to assist you.
Martin Eden|Jack London

British Dictionary definitions for scope (1 of 2)

scope

/ (skəʊp) /

noun

opportunity for exercising the faculties or abilities; capacity for actionplenty of scope for improvement

range of view, perception, or grasp; outlook

the area covered by an activity, topic, etc; rangethe 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

verb (tr)

informal to look at or examine carefully

Word Origin for scope

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

British Dictionary definitions for scope (2 of 2)

-scope

n combining form

indicating an instrument for observing, viewing, or detectingmicroscope; stethoscope

Derived forms of -scope

-scopic, adj combining form

Word Origin for -scope

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

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

Medical definitions for scope

-scope

suff.

An instrument for viewing or observing:bronchoscope.

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

scope

noun