SCOPE Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for

scope

[ skohp ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

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.
Synonyms: , , , , , , ,
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, scoping.

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

verb phrase

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

-scope

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

-scope

combining form

indicating an instrument for observing, viewing, or detecting
microscope
stethoscope

scope

/ ��əʊ�� /

noun

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 �ʳ�– ( q ∧ r ) is –( q ∧ r )
informal.
short for telescope microscope oscilloscope
archaic.
purpose or aim

verb

informal.
to look at or examine carefully

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Derived Forms

-scopic, combining_form:in_adjective

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

��Ǳ��l�� adjective

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of scope¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Italian scopo, from Greek ��Ǳ�ó�� “aim, mark to shoot at”; akin to ��Ǳ��î�� “to look at” ( -scope )

Origin of scope²

< New Latin -scopium < Greek -skopion, -skopeion, equivalent to skop ( ��î�� ) to look at (akin to ��é��ٱ��ٳ󲹾� to look, view carefully; skeptic ) + -ion, -eion noun suffix

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of scope¹

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

Origin of scope²

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

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Synonym Study

See range.

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