caso estreito / caso marginal
1. A legal or factual situation that barely meets the requirements or criteria; a borderline case with minimal margin for success
The defendant's alibi was a narrow case - the witness could only confirm his presence within a two-hour window.
O álibi do réu era um caso estreito - a testemunha só podia confirmar sua presença em uma janela de duas horas.
2. A situation with limited options or scope; a case with restrictive circumstances or constraints
This is a narrow case where we can only apply the exception under very specific conditions.
Este é um caso marginal onde podemos aplicar a exceção apenas sob condições muito específicas.
3. In computing/typography, a case that is restricted in application or has limited use cases
The bug only manifests in a narrow case involving legacy systems.
O bug só se manifesta em um caso específico envolvendo sistemas legados.
This term is widely used in American legal, academic, and technology sectors. In Brazil, 'caso estreito' or 'caso marginal' is preferred in formal legal contexts, while 'caso apertado' appears in more colloquial speech. The term reflects common law tradition's reliance on case-by-case analysis and exception handling.
NYC Slang
edge case (tech community); borderline situation
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