What is "in any case"

Any \A"ny\, a. & pron. [OE. [ae]ni[yogh], [ae]ni, eni, ani, oni, AS. [=ae]nig, fr. [=a]n one. It is akin to OS. [=e]nig, OHG. einic, G. einig, D. eenig. See One.]

1. One indifferently, out of an indefinite number; one indefinitely, whosoever or whatsoever it may be.

   Note: Any is often used in denying or asserting without limitation; as, this thing ought not be done at any time; I ask any one to answer my question.

   No man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son.
   --Matt. xi. 27.

2. Some, of whatever kind, quantity, or number; as, are there any witnesses present? are there any other houses like it? ``Who will show us any good?''
   --Ps. iv. 6.

   Note: It is often used, either in the singular or the plural, as a pronoun, the person or thing being understood; anybody; anyone; (pl.) any persons.

   If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, . . . and it shall be given him.
   --Jas. i. 5.

   That if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
   --Acts ix. 2.

   At any rate, In any case, whatever may be the state of affairs; anyhow.

Case \Case\, n. [F. cas, fr. L. casus, fr. cadere to fall, to happen. Cf. Chance.]

1. Chance; accident; hap; opportunity. [Obs.]

   By aventure, or sort, or cas.
   --Chaucer.

2. That which befalls, comes, or happens; an event; an instance; a circumstance, or all the circumstances; condition; state of things; affair; as, a strange case; a case of injustice; the case of the Indian tribes.

   In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge.
   --Deut. xxiv. 1

3. If the case of the man be so with his wife.
   --Matt. xix. 10.

   And when a lady's in the case You know all other things give place.
   --Gay.

   You think this madness but a common case.
   --Pope.

   I am in case to justle a constable,
   --Shak.

   3. (Med. & Surg.) A patient under treatment; an instance of sickness or injury; as, ten cases of fever; also, the history of a disease or injury.

   A proper remedy in hypochondriacal cases.
   --Arbuthnot.

4. (Law) The matters of fact or conditions involved in a suit, as distinguished from the questions of law; a suit or action at law; a cause.

   Let us consider the reason of the case, for nothing is law that is not reason.
   --Sir John Powell.

   Not one case in the reports of our courts.
   --Steele.

5. (Gram.) One of the forms, or the inflections or changes of form, of a noun, pronoun, or adjective, which indicate its relation to other words, and in the aggregate constitute its declension; the relation which a noun or pronoun sustains to some other word.

   Case is properly a falling off from the nominative or first state of word; the name for which, however, is now, by extension of its signification, applied also to the nominative.
   --J. W. Gibbs.

   Note: Cases other than the nominative are oblique cases. Case endings are terminations by which certain cases are distinguished. In old English, as in Latin, nouns had several cases distinguished by case endings, but in modern English only that of the possessive case is retained.

   Action on the case (Law), according to the old classification (now obsolete), was an action for redress of wrongs or injuries to person or property not specially provided against by law, in which the whole cause of complaint was set out in the writ; -- called also trespass on the case, or simply case.

   All a case, a matter of indifference. [Obs.] ``It is all a case to me.''
   --L'Estrange.

   Case at bar. See under Bar, n.

   Case divinity, casuistry.

   Case lawyer, one versed in the reports of cases rather than in the science of the law.

   Case stated or Case agreed on (Law), a statement in writing of facts agreed on and submitted to the court for a decision of the legal points arising on them.

   A hard case, an abandoned or incorrigible person. [Colloq.]

   In any case, whatever may be the state of affairs; anyhow.

   In case, or In case that, if; supposing that; in the event or contingency; if it should happen that. ``In case we are surprised, keep by me.''
   --W. Irving.

   In good case, in good condition, health, or state of body.

   To put a case, to suppose a hypothetical or illustrative case.

   Syn: Situation, condition, state; circumstances; plight; predicament; occurrence; contingency; accident; event; conjuncture; cause; action; suit.

adv. at any rate, anyhow

1. adv. used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement; "Anyhow, he is dead now"; "I think they're asleep; anyhow, they're quiet"; "I don't know what happened to it; anyway, it's gone"; "anyway, there is another factor to consider"; "I don't know how it started; in any case, there was a brief scuffle"; "in any event, the government faced a serious protest"; "but at any rate he got a knighthood for it" [syn: anyhow, anyway, at any rate, in any event]

2. making an additional point; anyway; "I don't want to go to a restaurant; besides, we can't afford it"; "she couldn't shelter behind him all the time and in any case he wasn't always with her" [syn: besides]