opaque case

[/oʊˈpeɪk keɪs/]
nounpl: opaque cases
caso opaco
1. A legal or investigative matter that lacks clarity, transparency, or full disclosure of information, making it difficult to understand the true facts or circumstances
The disappearance remained an opaque case for decades, with crucial evidence withheld from the public.
O desaparecimento permaneceu um caso opaco por décadas, com evidências cruciais retidas do público.
2. In business or governance, a situation where decision-making processes, reasons, or outcomes are not clearly explained or are deliberately obscured
The company's financial dealings became an opaque case after the audit revealed hidden transactions.
Os negócios financeiros da empresa se tornaram um caso opaco após a auditoria revelar transações ocultas.
This term is commonly used in Brazilian and Portuguese legal, journalistic, and political discourse to describe cases where information is deliberately hidden or unclear. In the United States, it often refers to situations lacking transparency in government, business, or criminal investigations. The phrase gained prominence during discussions about government accountability and corporate transparency movements.
NYC Slang
sketchy case; shady business
Synonyms / Sinônimos
unclear casemurky caseobscure caseenigmatic casemysterious caseambiguous case
Antonyms / Antônimos
transparent caseclear caseobvious casestraightforward caselucid case

Regional Variations

General Brazilian Portuguese
caso opaco
Standard usage in legal and journalistic contexts
Portugal
caso opaco
Same usage as Brazilian Portuguese; formal legal terminology
São Paulo
caso obscuro
Alternative colloquial variant used in business contexts

Related Words

opacitytransparencydisclosureobscurityambiguityinvestigation

Related Idioms & Phrases

shrouded in mystery
a closed book
behind closed doors
in the dark
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →