counterfactual

American  

[kaun-ter-fak-choo-uhl] / ˌkaʊn tərˈfæk tʃu əl /

noun

Logic.

1. a conditional statement the first clause of which expresses something contrary to fact, as “If I had known.”

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counterfactual British  

/ ˌkauntəˈfæktʃʊəl /

adjective

1. expressing what has not happened but could, would, or might under differing conditions

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noun

1. a conditional statement in which the first clause is a past tense subjunctive statement expressing something contrary to fact, as in

   if she had hurried she would have caught the bus

Other Word Forms

• counterfact
  noun
• counterfactually
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of counterfactual

First recorded in 1945–50; counter- + factual

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

counterfactual

Negative news sells, but I’m not sure counterfactual financial lessons always have the same effect.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 26, 2026

EEA studies compare an event's characteristics, such as its probability and intensity in the current climate, to a "counterfactual" world without human-caused emissions.

From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026

Historians sometimes play the counterfactual game of wondering what would have happened if a major event had turned out differently.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026

That effacement tries to create a counterfactual absurdity.

From Salon ● Mar. 9, 2025

A counterfactual flood results here from a shift in the precipitation field by 50 kilometres towards the north-east.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 27, 2024

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