scope

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

scope, n. [It. scopo, L. scopos a mark, aim, Gr. skopo`s, a watcher, mark, aim; akin to , to view, and perh. to E. spy. Cf. Skeptic, Bishop.].

•  That at which one aims; the thing or end to which the mind directs its view; that which is purposed to be reached or accomplished; hence, ultimate design, aim, or purpose; intention; drift; object.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]

  "Your scope is as mine own,
  So to enforce or qualify the laws
  As to your soul seems good."  [1913 Webster]

  "The scope of all their pleading against man's authority, is to overthrow such laws and constitutions in the church."  [1913 Webster]
•  Room or opportunity for free outlook or aim; space for action; amplitude of opportunity; free course or vent; liberty; range of view, intent, or action.  [1913 Webster]

  "Give him line and scope."  [1913 Webster]

  "In the fate and fortunes of the human race, scope is given to the operation of laws which man must always fail to discern the reasons of."  [1913 Webster]

  "Excuse me if I have given too much scope to the reflections which have arisen in my mind."  [1913 Webster]

  "An intellectual cultivation of no moderate depth or scope."  [1913 Webster]
•  Extended area.  Sir J. Davies.  [1913 Webster]
•  Length; extent; sweep; as, scope of cable.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

scope, n.
1 a the extent to which it is possible to range; the opportunity for action etc. (this is beyond the scope of our research). b the sweep or reach of mental activity, observation, or outlook (an intellect limited in its scope).
2 Naut. the length of cable extended when a ship rides at anchor.
3 archaic a purpose, end, or intention.

scope, n. colloq. a telescope, microscope, or other device ending in -scope.

Etymology

abbr.

THESAURUS

scope

a leg up, actionability, affective meaning, ambit, amount, ample scope, amplitude, applicability, area, bearing, bigness, binoculars, blank check, body, breadth, bulk, caliber, capacity, carry, carte blanche, chance, chromatoscope, clear sight, clear stage, clearance, color vision, coloring, command, compass, comprehensiveness, cone vision, connotation, consequence, constitutional validity, constitutionalism, constitutionality, coverage, cut, day vision, daylight vision, degree, denotation, depth, diameter, diapason, dimension, dimensions, discernment, domination, drift, due process, effect, elbowroom, essence, expanse, expansion, extension, extent, eye, eye-mindedness, eyereach, eyeshot, eyesight, fair field, fair game, farsight, farsightedness, field, field glass, field of view, field of vision, force, free course, free hand, free play, free scope, freedom, full scope, full swing, fullness, gamut, gauge, girth, gist, glass, grade, grammatical meaning, greatness, height, horizon, idea, impact, implication, import, intension, interval, jurisdiction, justice, justiciability, kaleidoscope, keen sight, ken, largeness, latitude, lawfulness, leap, leeway, legal form, legal process, legalism, legality, legitimacy, legitimateness, length, level, lexical meaning, liberty, licitness, limit of vision, line of sight, literal meaning, long rope, magnitude, maneuvering space, margin, mark, mass, meaning, measure, measurement, naked eye, night vision, no holds barred, notch, nuance, occasion, open space, opening, opera glasses, opportunism, opportunity, orbit, oscilloscope, outlook, outlook over, overtone, pas, peg, perception, period, peripheral field, peripheral vision, periscope, perspective, perspicacity, perspicuity, pertinence, photopia, pitch, pith, place, plane, plateau, play, point, power of sight, practical consequence, proportion, proportions, prospect, purport, purview, quick sight, radius, range, range of meaning, ratio, reach, real meaning, reference, referent, register, relation, relevance, remove, rightfulness, rod vision, room, rope, round, rung, scale, scan, scope of vision, scotopia, sea room, seeing, semantic cluster, semantic field, sense, sense of sight, shade, shadow, sight, sightedness, sightliness, significance, signification, significatum, signifie, size, space, span, span of meaning, spectroscope, spectrum, sphere, spirit, spread, spy glass, stair, standard, step, stepping-stone, stereoscope, stint, stretch, structural meaning, substance, sum, sum and substance, survey, sweep, swing, symbolic meaning, telescope, tenor, terrestrial telescope, time, tolerance, totality of associations, transferred meaning, tread, twilight vision, unadorned meaning, undertone, unobstructed vision, validity, value, view, vision, vista, visual acuity, visual field, visual sense, volume, way, wide berth, wideness, width, zoom binoculars

ROGET THESAURUS

scope

Degree

N degree, grade, extent, measure, amount, ratio, stint, standard, height, pitch, reach, amplitude, range, scope, caliber, gradation, shade, tenor, compass, sphere, station, rank, standing, rate, way, sort, point, mark, stage, intensity, strength, comparative, gradual, shading off, within the bounds, by degrees, gradually, inasmuch, pro tanto, however, howsoever, step by step, bit by bit, little by little, inch by inch, drop by drop, a little at a time, by inches, by slow degrees, by degrees, by little and little, in some degree, in some measure, to some extent, di grado in grado.

Freedom

N freedom, liberty, independence, license, facility, scope, range, latitude, play, free play, full play, free scope, full scope, free stage and no favor, swing, full swing, elbowroom, margin, rope, wide berth, Liberty Hall, franchise, denization, free man, freed man, livery man, denizen, autonomy, self-government, liberalism, free trade, noninterference, Monroe Doctrine, immunity, exemption, emancipation, enfranchisement, affranchisement, free land, freehold, allodium, frankalmoigne, mortmain, bushwhacker, freelance, free thinker, free trader, independent, free, free as air, out of harness, independent, at large, loose, scot-free, left alone, left to oneself, in full swing, uncaught, unconstrained, unbuttoned, unconfined, unrestrained, unchecked, unprevented, unhindered, unobstructed, unbound, uncontrolled, untrammeled, unsubject, ungoverned, unenslaved, unenthralled, unchained, unshackled, unfettered, unreined, unbridled, uncurbed, unmuzzled, unrestricted, unlimited, unmitigated, unconditional, absolute, discretionary, unassailed, unforced, uncompelled, unbiassed, spontaneous, free and easy, at ease, at one's ease, degage, quite at home, wanton, rampant, irrepressible, unvanquished, exempt, freed, freeborn, autonomous, freehold, allodial, gratis, eleutherian, unclaimed, going a begging, freely, ad libitum, ubi libertas ibi patria, free white and twenty-one.

Space

N space, extension, extent, superficial extent, expanse, stretch, hyperspace, room, scope, range, field, way, expansion, compass, sweep, swing, spread, dimension, length, distance, size, volume, hypervolume, latitude, play, leeway, purchase, tolerance, room for maneuver, spare room, elbow room, house room, stowage, roomage, margin, opening, sphere, arena, open space, free space, void, waste, wildness, wilderness, moor, moorland, campagna, abyss, unlimited space, infinity, world, ubiquity, length and breadth of the land, proportions, acreage, acres, acres and perches, roods and perches, hectares, square miles, square inches, square yards, square centimeters, square meters, yards (clothing), ares, arpents, spacious, roomy, extensive, expansive, capacious, ample, widespread, vast, world-wide, uncircumscribed, boundless, shoreless, trackless, pathless, extended, extensively, wherever, everywhere, far and near, far and wide, right and left, all over, all the world over, throughout the world, throughout the length and breadth of the land, under the sun, in every quarter, in all quarters, in all lands, here there and everywhere, from pole to pole, from China to Peru, from Indus to the pole, from Dan to Beersheba, from end to end, on the face of the earth, in the wide world, from all points of the compass, to the four winds, to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Meaning

N meaning, signification, significance, sense, expression, import, purport, force, drift, tenor, spirit, bearing, coloring, scope, substance, gist, essence, marrow, spirit, matter, subject, subject matter, argument, text, sum and substance, general meaning, broad meaning, substantial meaning, colloquial meaning, literal meaning, plain meaning, simple meaning, natural meaning, unstrained meaning, true meaning, honest meaning, &c 543 prima facie meaning, letter of the law, literally, after acceptation, synonym, implication, allusion, suggestion, figure of speech, acceptation, meaning, expressive, suggestive, allusive, significant, significative, significatory, pithy, full of meaning, pregnant with meaning, declaratory, intelligible, literal, synonymous, tantamount, implied, explicit, to that effect, that is to say.