If there is scopefor a particular kind of behaviour or activity, people have the opportunity to behave in this way or do that activity.
He believed in giving his staff scope for initiative. [+ for]
Banks had increased scope to develop new financial products.
Synonyms: opportunity, room, freedom, play More Synonyms of scope
2. singular noun
The scopeof an activity, topic, or piece of work is the whole area which it deals with or includes.
Mr Dobson promised to widen the organisation's scope of activity. [+ of]
...the scope of a novel.
Synonyms: range, capacity, reach, area More Synonyms of scope
scope in British English
(skəʊp)
noun
1.
opportunity for exercising the faculties or abilities; capacity for action
plenty of scope for improvement
2.
range of view, perception, or grasp; outlook
3.
the area covered by an activity, topic, etc; range
the scope of his thesis was vast
4. nautical
slack left in an anchor cable
5. 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)
6. informal short for telescope, microscope, oscilloscope
7. archaic
purpose or aim
verb(transitive)
8. informal
to look at or examine carefully
Word origin
C16: from Italian scopo goal, from Latin scopus, from Greek skopos target; related to Greek skopein to watch
-scope in British English
combining form in countable noun
indicating an instrument for observing, viewing, or detecting
microscope
stethoscope
Derived forms
-scopic
combining form in adjective
Word origin
from New Latin -scopium, from Greek -skopion, from skopein to look at
scope in American English
(skoʊp)
noun
1.
the extent of the mind's grasp; range of perception or understanding
a problem beyond his scope
2.
the range or extent of action, inquiry, etc., or of an activity, concept, etc.
the scope of a book
3.
room or opportunity for freedom of action or thought; free play
4.
telescope, microscope, radarscope, etc.
5. Nautical
length, extent, or sweep, as of a cable
6. Rare
end; purpose
verb transitiveWord forms: scoped or ˈscoping
7. Slang
to look at or look into carefully; scrutinize; investigate; examine closely
often with out
SIMILAR WORDS: range
Word origin
It scopo < L scopus, goal, target < Gr skopos, a mark, spy, watcher < base of skopein, to see, altered by metathesis < IE base *spe-, to peer, look carefully > spy, L specere, to see
-scope in American English
(skoʊp)
an instrument, etc. for seeing or observing
telescope, retinoscope, kaleidoscope
Word origin
LL -scopium < Gr -skopion < skopein: see scope
Examples of 'scope' in a sentence
scope
The engineers have little scope for imagination to get an advantage whereas before they could do something.
The Sun (2008)
Now he has widened his scope to include the bride herself.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That would give scope to tell the full story.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
There is great scope for exploitation of the vulnerable.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Part of this was to examine the scope for local differences in policy and organizational practices.
Lee Harvey Critical Social Research (1990)
This provides scope for infrastructure improvements and new industries.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Germany has the scope to increase public spending and thereby boost domestic demand.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Yet there is much scope for many more new editions of texts of all genres.
The Times Literary Supplement (2013)
There is still great scope for growth.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The scope of social action itself in part determines what we mean by social problems.
Brown, Muriel & Payne Sarah Introduction to Social Administration in Britain (1990)
With his size and scope the smaller obstacles should have been his joy.
The Sun (2015)
French recruitment consultancies had little scope in which to work.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Both properties offer great scope for the display of architectural knowledge.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
But we realise we have scope for improvement.
The Sun (2010)
Yet that allowed much scope for mischief.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In the near future it is likely that increased scope for interaction will expand demand for these systems.
Tom Cannon Basic Marketing. Principles and Practice (1986)
It is impossible to do justice to the full range and global scope of the writing on offer here.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
The MoD has argued against allowing a widening of the scope of the evidence.
The Sun (2016)
A healthy league position gives them scope to consider what happens next.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The council's scope ranged widely.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
In other languages
scope
British English: scope NOUN
If there is scope for a particular kind of behaviour or activity, people have the opportunity to behave in this way or do that activity.
He believed in giving his staff scope for initiative.
American English: scope
Brazilian Portuguese: liberdade de ação
Chinese: 机会
European Spanish: oportunidad
French: place
German: Freiraum
Italian: possibilità
Japanese: 場
Korean: 기회
European Portuguese: liberdade de ação
Latin American Spanish: competencia
Chinese translation of 'scope'
scope
(skəup)
n
(u) (= opportunity, potential)
scope (for sth/to do sth)(某事/做某事的)余(餘)地 ((mǒushì/zuò mǒushì de) yúdì)
(s) (= range) 范(範)围(圍) (fànwéi)
there is plenty of scope for improvement (Brit) 还(還)有很大的改进(進)余(餘)地 (háiyǒu hěn dà de gǎijìn yúdì)
1 (noun)
Definition
opportunity for using abilities
He believed in giving his staff scope for initiative.
Synonyms
opportunity
I was given an opportunity to bathe and shower.
I had the opportunity to go abroad and study.
room
There's a lot of room for you to express yourself.
freedom
freedom to buy and sell at the best price
play
a dazzling picture book which allows imaginations full play
chance
All eligible people will get a chance to vote.
space
The furniture proved impractical because it took up too much space.
possibility
liberty
latitude
She will be given every latitude in forming a new government.
elbowroom
leeway
Schoolteachers rarely have leeway to teach the way they want.
2 (noun)
Definition
the area covered by an activity or topic
the scope of a novel
Synonyms
range
The trees on the mountain within my range of vision had all been felled.
capacity
an aircraft with a bomb-carrying capacity of 454 kg
reach
Luckily, the phone was in easy reach.
area
Although large in area, the flat did not have many rooms.
extent
an estate about seven or eight acres in extent
confines
outlook
orbit
Cora dazzled all who came within her orbit.
span
The bridge has a span of 579 feet.
sphere
the sphere of international politics
compass
Within the compass of a book of this size, such a comprehensive survey is not practicable.
remit
terms of reference
ambit
medicines which fall outside the ambit of the price-fixing agreement
purview
That, however, was beyond the purview of the court; it was a diplomatic matter.
field of reference
Additional synonyms
in the sense of ambit
Definition
limits or boundary
medicines which fall outside the ambit of the price-fixing agreement
Synonyms
range,
reach,
sweep,
extent,
scope,
radius
in the sense of area
Definition
range or scope
Although large in area, the flat did not have many rooms.
Synonyms
range,
reach,
size,
sweep,
extent,
scope,
sphere,
domain,
width,
compass,
breadth,
parameters (informal),
latitude,
expanse,
radius,
ambit,
footprint
in the sense of capacity
Definition
the ability to contain, absorb, or hold something
an aircraft with a bomb-carrying capacity of 454 kg
Synonyms
size,
room,
range,
space,
volume,
extent,
dimensions,
scope,
magnitude,
compass,
amplitude
Synonyms of 'scope'
scope
Explore 'scope' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of chance
Definition
an opportunity or occasion to do something
All eligible people will get a chance to vote.
Synonyms
opportunity,
opening,
occasion,
time,
scope,
window
in the sense of compass
Definition
limits or range
Within the compass of a book of this size, such a comprehensive survey is not practicable.
Synonyms
range,
field,
area,
reach,
scope,
sphere,
limit,
stretch,
bound,
extent,
zone,
boundary,
realm
in the sense of extent
Definition
the length, area, or size of something
an estate about seven or eight acres in extent
Synonyms
size,
area,
range,
length,
reach,
bounds,
sweep,
sphere,
width,
compass,
breadth,
ambit
in the sense of freedom
Definition
the power to order one's own actions
freedom to buy and sell at the best price
Synonyms
licence,
latitude,
a free hand,
free rein,
play,
power,
range,
opportunity,
ability,
facility,
scope,
flexibility,
discretion,
leeway,
carte blanche,
blank cheque,
elbowroom
in the sense of latitude
Definition
scope for freedom of action and thought
She will be given every latitude in forming a new government.
Synonyms
scope,
liberty,
indulgence,
freedom,
play,
room,
space,
licence,
leeway,
laxity,
elbowroom,
unrestrictedness
in the sense of leeway
Definition
flexibility of action or expenditure
Schoolteachers rarely have leeway to teach the way they want.
Synonyms
room,
play,
space,
margin,
scope,
latitude,
elbowroom
in the sense of orbit
Definition
a range or sphere of action or influence
Cora dazzled all who came within her orbit.
Synonyms
sphere of influence,
reach,
range,
influence,
province,
scope,
sphere,
domain,
compass,
ambit
in the sense of play
Definition
activity or operation
a dazzling picture book which allows imaginations full play
Synonyms
scope,
room,
range,
freedom,
licence,
liberty,
indulgence,
latitude,
free rein
in the sense of purview
Definition
scope of operation
That, however, was beyond the purview of the court; it was a diplomatic matter.
Synonyms
scope,
reach,
range,
field,
limit,
extent,
province,
confine(s),
orbit,
sphere,
compass,
ambit
in the sense of reach
Definition
the extent or distance of reaching
Luckily, the phone was in easy reach.
Synonyms
grasp,
range,
distance,
stretch,
sweep,
capacity,
extent,
extension,
scope
Additional synonyms
in the sense of room
There's a lot of room for you to express yourself.
Synonyms
opportunity,
freedom,
scope,
leeway,
play,
chance,
range,
occasion,
margin,
allowance,
compass,
latitude,
r%m
in the sense of space
Definition
unoccupied area or room
The furniture proved impractical because it took up too much space.