Carton vs. Case: Difference and Comparison
Edited by Muazma Batool — By Muneeza Rehman — Published on October 6, 2023
A carton is a lightweight container typically made of paperboard or cardboard, while a case is a larger box or container, often used for transporting or storing items. E.g., "Milk comes in cartons." "She ordered a case of wine."
Difference Between Carton and Case
A carton is typically a lightweight container used to package and store items, usually made of paperboard or cardboard. It's a term commonly associated with packaging for food and beverages, like milk cartons. Cartons are convenient for individual or small quantities of products, providing protection and containment.
Muneeza Rehman
Oct 06, 2023
On the contrary, a case usually refers to a larger box or container, designed for storing or transporting multiple items. Cases are often used for bulk quantities and can be made of a variety of materials, including cardboard, plastic, or metal. They are robust and provide significant protection to the contents inside.
Muazma Batool
Oct 06, 2023
When discussing carton, it implies something more specific and is usually associated with consumer goods. For example, a carton of eggs or a carton of milk refers to the packaging that directly contains the individual products and is usually seen at the consumer level.
Muneeza Rehman
Oct 06, 2023
Conversely, the term case can be more generic and is typically associated with larger quantities or volumes, like a case of wine or a case of water bottles. It refers to the outer container that holds multiple units or cartons of a product and is typically used during transportation or storage before reaching the retailer.
Lucas
Oct 06, 2023
Carton and case, while having overlapping functionalities, mainly differ in their size, the quantity they hold, and their usage in the supply chain, with cartons being more consumer-focused and cases being more suited for transportation and storage of bulk quantities.
Kaitlyn
Oct 06, 2023
Carton vs. Case Comparison Chart
Material
Typically made of paperboard or cardboard.
Can be made of various materials like cardboard, plastic, or metal.
Muneeza Rehman
Oct 06, 2023
Size
Smaller, suitable for individual or smaller quantities.
Larger, designed for multiple items or bulk quantities.
Muazma Batool
Oct 06, 2023
Usage
More consumer-focused, for packaging goods.
Suited for transportation and storage of bulk quantities.
Muneeza Rehman
Oct 06, 2023
Example of Contents
A carton of milk, a carton of eggs.
A case of wine, a case of water bottles.
Muazma Batool
Oct 06, 2023
Level in Supply Chain
Usually seen at the consumer level.
Typically used before reaching the retailer.
Muneeza Rehman
Oct 06, 2023
Carton vs. Case Definitions
◉Carton
A box or container usually used for packaging small quantities of goods.
He opened a new carton of eggs.
Leo
Sep 21, 2023
◉Case
A container used to enclose or protect something.
He carried his tools in a sturdy case.
Muazma Batool
Sep 21, 2023
◉Carton
A small, foldable box-like container.
She folded the carton and put it in the recycling bin.
Olivia
Sep 21, 2023
◉Case
An instance or occurrence of a particular situation or category.
It was a clear case of misconduct.
Levi
Sep 21, 2023
◉Carton
A receptacle for holding a product, used as a form of packaging.
I have a carton of milk in the fridge.
Leo
Sep 21, 2023
◉Case
An instance or occurrence of a particular kind or category
a case of mistaken identity.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Carton
A protective container, typically used for individual or consumer goods.
The cereal is in a colorful carton.
Henry
Sep 21, 2023
◉Carton
A lightweight container, typically made of paperboard or cardboard.
She bought a carton of orange juice.
Muazma Batool
Sep 21, 2023
◉Case
A set of circumstances or a state of affairs; a situation
It may rain, in which case the hike will be canceled.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Carton
Any of various containers made from cardboard or coated paper
cans packed in cartons.
a milk carton.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
Actual fact; reality
We suspected the walls were hollow, and this proved to be the case.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
A situation that requires investigation, especially by a formal or official body.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Carton
An inexpensive, disposable box-like container fashioned from either paper, paper with wax-covering (wax paper), or other lightweight material.
a carton of milk or eggs
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Carton
A pack of cigarettes, usually ten, wrapped in cellophane or packed in a light cardboard box.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Carton
(Australia) A cardboard box that holds (usually 24) beer bottles or cans.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
A set of reasons or supporting facts; an argument
presented a good case for changing the law.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
A person being assisted, treated, or studied, as by a physician, lawyer, or social worker.
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Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
In traditional grammar, a distinct form of a noun, pronoun, or modifier that is used to express one or more particular syntactic relationships to other words in a sentence.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
Case In some varieties of generative grammar, the thematic or semantic role of a noun phrase as represented abstractly but not necessarily indicated overtly in surface structure. In such frameworks, nouns in English have Case even in the absence of inflectional case endings.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
The form of a written, printed, or keyed letter that distinguishes it as being lowercase or uppercase
typed the password using the wrong case.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
(Slang) To examine carefully, as in planning a crime
cased the bank before robbing it.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
An actual event, situation, or fact.
For a change, in this case, he was telling the truth.
It is not the case that every unfamiliar phrase is an idiom.
In case of fire, break glass. [sign on fire extinguisher holder in public space]
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
A piece of work, specifically defined within a profession.
It was one of the detective's easiest cases.
Social workers should work on a maximum of forty active cases.
The doctor told us of an interesting case he had treated that morning.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
(academia) An instance or event as a topic of study.
The teaching consists of theory lessons and case studies.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
(grammar) A specific inflection of a word (particularly a noun, pronoun, or adjective) depending on its function in the sentence.
The accusative case canonically indicates a direct object.
Latin has six cases, and remnants of a seventh.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
Grammatical cases and their meanings taken either as a topic in general or within a specific language.
Jane has been studying case in Caucasian languages.
Latin is a language that employs case.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
(medicine) An instance of a specific condition or set of symptoms.
There were another five cases reported overnight.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
(programming) A section of code representing one of the actions of a conditional switch.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
A box that contains or can contain a number of identical items of manufacture.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
A box, sheath, or covering generally.
a case for spectacles; the case of a watch
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
A piece of luggage that can be used to transport an apparatus such as a sewing machine.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
A piece of furniture, constructed partially of transparent glass or plastic, within which items can be displayed.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
The outer covering or framework of a piece of apparatus such as a computer.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
A shallow tray divided into compartments or "boxes" for holding type, traditionally arranged in sets of two, the "upper case" (containing capitals, small capitals, accented) and "lower case" (small letters, figures, punctuation marks, quadrats, and spaces).
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
The nature of a piece of alphabetic type, whether a “capital” (upper case) or “small” (lower case) letter.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
(US) A unit of liquid measure used to measure sales in the beverage industry, equivalent to 192 fluid ounces.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
A thin layer of harder metal on the surface of an object whose deeper metal is allowed to remain soft.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
(transitive) To place (an item or items of manufacture) into a box, as in preparation for shipment.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
(transitive) To cover or protect with, or as if with, a case; to enclose.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
To survey (a building or other location) surreptitiously, as in preparation for a robbery.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
(poker slang) The last remaining card of a particular rank.
He drew the case eight!
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
A box, sheath, or covering; as, a case for holding goods; a case for spectacles; the case of a watch; the case (capsule) of a cartridge; a case (cover) for a book.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
A box and its contents; the quantity contained in a box; as, a case of goods; a case of instruments.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
A shallow tray divided into compartments or "boxes" for holding type.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
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.
If the case of the man be so with his wife.
And when a lady's in the caseYou know all other things give place.
You think this madness but a common case.
I am in case to justle a constable,
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
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.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
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.
Not one case in the reports of our courts.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
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.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
To cover or protect with, or as with, a case; to inclose.
The man who, cased in steel, had passed whole days and nights in the saddle.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
a comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy;
the family brought suit against the landlord
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
an occurrence of something;
it was a case of bad judgment
another instance occurred yesterday
but there is always the famous example of the Smiths
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
a special set of circumstances;
in that event, the first possibility is excluded
it may rain in which case the picnic will be canceled
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
a problem requiring investigation;
Perry Mason solved the case of the missing heir
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
a statement of facts and reasons used to support an argument;
he stated his case clearly
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
a portable container for carrying several objects;
the musicians left their instrument cases backstage
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
a person who is subjected to experimental or other observational procedures; someone who is an object of investigation;
the subjects for this investigation were selected randomly
the cases that we studied were drawn from two different communities
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
a person requiring professional services;
a typical case was the suburban housewife described by a marriage counselor
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
a glass container used to store and display items in a shop or museum or home
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
nouns or pronouns or adjectives (often marked by inflection) related in some way to other words in a sentence
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
the housing or outer covering of something;
the clock has a walnut case
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
a person of a specified kind (usually with many eccentricities);
a real character
a strange character
a friendly eccentric
the capable type
a mental case
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
an enveloping structure or covering enclosing an animal or plant organ or part
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
the enclosing frame around a door or window opening;
the casings had rotted away and had to be replaced
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
bed linen consisting of a cover for a pillow;
the burglar carried his loot in a pillowcase
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
look over, usually with the intention to rob;
They men cased the housed
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 19, 2023
◉Case
A box or container for holding or transporting multiple items or quantities.
We ordered a case of sparkling water.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 21, 2023
◉Case
A large box for packing or preserving goods, often for transportation.
They shipped the equipment in a wooden case.
Elijah
Sep 21, 2023
◉Case
A receptacle with a specific function or used for a specific type of object.
She keeps her glasses in a hard case.
Henry
Sep 21, 2023
Carton vs. Case Frequently Asked Questions
Is a carton used for individual goods?
Yes, cartons are often used for packaging individual or smaller quantities of consumer goods.
Muneeza Rehman
Oct 06, 2023
Is a carton typically made of paper or cardboard?
Yes, a carton is typically made of paperboard or cardboard.
Muneeza Rehman
Oct 06, 2023
Can a case be made of metal?
Yes, cases can be made of various materials, including metal, for added protection.
William
Oct 06, 2023
Is a case always larger than a carton?
Typically, a case is larger and can contain multiple cartons or items.
Muazma Batool
Oct 06, 2023
Is a carton considered consumer-level packaging?
Yes, a carton is more consumer-focused and is usually seen at the consumer level.
William
Oct 06, 2023
Can a case protect items during transport?
Yes, a case is designed to protect its contents, especially during transportation.
William
Oct 06, 2023
Can a carton hold liquid?
Yes, liquids like milk or juice are often sold in cartons.
Muneeza Rehman
Oct 06, 2023
Is a case used for bulk items?
Yes, a case is typically used for storing or transporting bulk quantities of items.
Muazma Batool
Oct 06, 2023
Can you recycle a carton?
Most cartons, especially those made of paperboard or cardboard, are recyclable.
Muneeza Rehman
Oct 06, 2023
Is a case more suited for transportation and storage?
Yes, cases are more generic and are well-suited for the transportation and storage of items before reaching retailers.
Muneeza Rehman
Oct 06, 2023
Content Creators
Written by
Muneeza RehmanAt Comparisons.wiki, Muneeza skillfully navigates the vast sea of information, ensuring clarity and accuracy as the lead content editor. With a keen eye for detail, she curates every comparison to enlighten and engage readers.
Edited by
Muazma BatoolAs a content editor, Muazma Batool is not just a grammar guru but a creative mastermind who breathes life into every word. With an eagle eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, she transforms bland text into engaging content that captivates audiences and drives results.
