in case

See also: incase and incasê

English

Etymology

From Middle English [Term?]. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪn ˈkeɪs/

Conjunction

in case

1. To allow for the possibility that.

   I'll take an umbrella, in case it rains.

2. (chiefly Canada, US) If.
   • 1861, E. J. Guerin, Mountain Charley, page 17:

     Whenever tempted to resume my sex, I was invariably met with the thought — what then? […] The chances were but few in case I resumed my other character, that I would be able to command the amount necessary for their [her children's] support.

Synonyms

• (to allow for the possibility that): in the event (conjunction)

Related terms

• in case of (preposition)
• in the event that
• just in case

Translations

Because event X might occur

• Arabic: فِي حَال (fī ḥāl)
• Belarusian: у вы́падку (u výpadku), у ра́зе (u rázje)
• Bulgarian: в слу́чай (v slúčaj)
• Catalan: en cas que (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 如果 (zh) (rúguǒ), 以防 (zh) (yǐfáng)

• Cornish: les
• Czech: v případě
• Danish: i fald, for det fald, at, såfremt, i tilfælde af
• French: au cas où (fr)
• Georgian: იმ შემთხვევაში, თუ (im šemtxvevaši, tu)
• German: falls (de), im Falle
• Greek: σε περίπτωση που (se períptosi pou)
• Hungarian: arra az esetre, ha (for the case, if...)
• Ido: kaze ke (io)
• Italian: qualora (it)
• Japanese: …の場合に (…のばあいに, ... no baai ni)
• Korean: …은/ㄴ 경우에는 (…-eun/-n gyeong'u-e-neun)
• Macedonian: во случај (vo slučaj)
• Maori: me kore, kei tūpono
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: i tilfelle

  Nynorsk: i tilfelle

• Polish: w razie (pl), na wypadek, w przypadku
• Portuguese: caso (pt), no caso de
• Russian: в слу́чае (ru) (v slúčaje), на слу́чай (na slúčaj)
• Slovak: v prípade
• Spanish: por si acaso (es), por si
• Swedish: i händelse, ifall (sv)
• Turkish: eğer (tr)
• Ukrainian: у ра́зі (u rázi), у ви́падку (u výpadku)
• Vietnamese: để chắc chắn
• Walloon: si e cas (wa) (+ conditional tense), po si e cas (wa) (+ conditional tense)
• Welsh: rhag ofn
• Yiddish: טאָמער (tomer)

See also

• lest

References

• “just in case”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “in case”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• Caines, Našice, aescin, casein, cesian