Meaning & use
scope
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Meanings
noununcountable
The range of things that a subject, rule, project or activity covers.
Grammar: Usually followed by of or used with within: the scope of the study.
Patterns
- the scope of something
- within the scope of something
- beyond the scope of something
The scope of the investigation was widened.
That question is outside the scope of this course.
The new law has a wide scope.
noununcountable
The opportunity or freedom to do or develop something.
Grammar: Often followed by for: scope for improvement.
Patterns
- scope for something
- scope to do something
There is plenty of scope for improvement in the design.
The job gives her scope to try new ideas.
Small firms have little scope to cut prices.
nouncountableinformal
An instrument for looking at distant or small things, such as a telescope or microscope.
Grammar: Informal shortened form: she looked through the scope.
Patterns
- look through a scope
He adjusted the rifle scope to see the target.
The doctor used a scope to examine the throat.
verbphrasal verbinformalAmerican
To look carefully at something in order to judge it, often in the phrase scope out.
Grammar: Takes an object: scope out the place.
Patterns
- scope something out
We scoped out the restaurant before booking.
She scoped the room for the best seat.
Word forms
| plural | scopes |
|---|---|
| third person singular | scopes |
| past tense | scoped |
| past participle | scoped |
| -ing form | scoping |
Common combinations
- scope of the project
- The scope of the project grew each month.
- beyond the scope
- Legal advice is beyond the scope of this guide.
- scope for improvement
- There is scope for improvement in our process.
- wide scope
- The report covers a wide scope of topics.
- limited scope
- The audit had a limited scope.
- scope of work
- The contract defines the scope of work.
Synonyms and how they differ
- range
- Range stresses the span from one limit to another, while scope stresses what is covered or included.
- extent
- Extent is about how far or how big something is, but scope is about what falls inside its boundaries.
- opportunity
- For the second sense, opportunity means a chance, whereas scope means room to act.
- remit
- Remit is the official area of responsibility given to a person or group, which is narrower than scope.
Opposites
Word family
- scoping noun
- the process of defining what a project will cover
- telescope noun
- an instrument for viewing distant objects
- microscope noun
- an instrument for viewing tiny objects
- periscope noun
- a tube for seeing over or around obstacles
Commonly confused: scope or scape?
scope vs scape
Scape is a rare word for a flower stalk or a view, and is not a spelling of scope.
Practice
Detailed tax advice is beyond the ___ of this short guide.
Choose one answer.
Beyond the scope of is the standard phrase for outside what is covered. The other options do not fit this collocation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “scope”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.