case study

noun

1
: an intensive analysis of an individual unit (such as a person or community) stressing developmental factors in relation to environment
2

Examples of case study in a Sentence

a case study of prisoners The company's recent history is a case study in bad management.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Position yourself for exclusive access to these marketplaces by building a robust portfolio and gathering evidence of your results through case studies and testimonials. Rachel Wells, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025 The parish has become an unfortunate case study of just how serious the issue of saltwater intrusion can be. Kati Weis, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2025 The research serves as an instructive case study on the mathematical limitations of SR models, despite sometimes grandiose marketing claims from AI vendors. ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025 The activities of the Shijiazhuang prison are a compelling case study, but not the only one. Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 23 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for case study

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of case study was in 1914

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Case study.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/case%20study. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on case study

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!