condition

American  

[kuhn-dish-uhn] / kənˈdɪʃ ən /

noun

conditions plural

1. a particular mode of being of a person or thing; existing state; situation with respect to circumstances.

2. state of health.

   He was reported to be in critical condition.

3. fit or requisite state.

   to be out of condition;

   to be in no condition to run.

4. social position.

   in a lowly condition.

5. a restricting, limiting, or modifying circumstance.

   It can happen only under certain conditions.

6. a circumstance indispensable to some result; prerequisite; that on which something else is contingent.

   conditions of acceptance.

7. Usually conditions. existing circumstances.

   poor living conditions.

8. something demanded as an essential part of an agreement; provision; stipulation.

   He accepted on one condition.

   Synonyms:

   proviso, requirement

9. Law.

   1. a stipulation in an agreement or instrument transferring property that provides for a change consequent on the occurrence or nonoccurrence of a stated event.

   2. the event upon which this stipulation depends.

10. Informal. an abnormal or diseased state of part of the body.

    heart condition;

    skin condition.

11. U.S. Education.

    1. a requirement imposed on a college student who fails to reach the prescribed standard in a course at the end of the regular period of instruction, permitting credit to be established by later performance.

    2. the course or subject to which the requirement is attached.

12. Grammar. protasis.

13. Logic. the antecedent of a conditional proposition.

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verb (used with object)

1. to put in a fit or proper state.

2. to accustom or inure.

   to condition oneself to the cold.

3. to air-condition.

4. to form or be a condition of; determine, limit, or restrict as a condition.

5. to subject to particular conditions or circumstances.

   Her studies conditioned her for her job.

6. U.S. Education. to impose a condition on (a student).

7. to test (a commodity) to ascertain its condition.

8. to make (something) a condition; stipulate.

9. Psychology. to establish a conditioned response in (a subject).

10. Textiles.

    1. to test (fibers or fabrics) for the presence of moisture or other foreign matter.

    2. to replace moisture lost from (fibers or fabrics) in manipulation or manufacture.

verb (used without object)

1. to make conditions.

idioms

1. on / upon condition that, with the promise or provision that; provided that; if.

   She accepted the position on condition that there would be opportunity for advancement.

condition British  

/ kənˈdɪʃən /

noun

1. a particular state of being or existence; situation with respect to circumstances

   the human condition

2. something that limits or restricts something else; a qualification

   you may enter only under certain conditions

3. (plural) external or existing circumstances

   conditions were right for a takeover

4. state of health or physical fitness, esp good health (esp in the phrases in condition, out of condition )

5. an ailment or physical disability

   a heart condition

6. something indispensable to the existence of something else

   your happiness is a condition of mine

7. something required as part of an agreement or pact; terms

   the conditions of the lease are set out

8. law

   1. a declaration or provision in a will, contract, etc, that makes some right or liability contingent upon the happening of some event

   2. the event itself

9. logic a statement whose truth is either required for the truth of a given statement (a necessary condition ) or sufficient to guarantee the truth of the given statement (a sufficient condition ) See sufficient necessary

10. maths logic a presupposition, esp a restriction on the domain of quantification, indispensable to the proof of a theorem and stated as part of it

11. statistics short for experimental condition

12. rank, status, or position in life

13. (conjunction) provided that

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verb

1. psychol

   1. to alter the response of (a person or animal) to a particular stimulus or situation

   2. to establish a conditioned response in (a person or animal)

2. to put into a fit condition or state

3. to improve the condition of (one's hair) by use of special cosmetics

4. to accustom or inure

5. to subject to a condition

6. archaic (intr) to make conditions

condition More Idioms  

1. see in condition; mint condition; on condition that; out of condition.

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Synonym Usage

See state.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• uncondition
  verb (used with object)
• conditionable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• conditions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of condition

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English condicioun, from Old French, from Latin condiciōn-, stem of condiciō “agreement,” equivalent to con- con- + dic-, stem of dīcere “to say” + -iō -ion

Explanation

A medical problem or illness can be referred to as a condition. Your skin condition isn't contagious, but it still looks bad — scabby and scaly. You won't even need makeup to dress as a zombie for Halloween. A condition is also a requirement or prerequisite for something. As a condition of your acceptance to college, you may have to maintain certain grades and do well on a standardized test. Condition can refer as well to the state or quality of something. The condition of your apartment building might be so appalling that your mail carrier has stopped delivering your mail.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

condition conditions

Because of the eagle’s condition, the rescue took only about five minutes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

He knows he will die in the coming months, but still feels physically fit — yet he lives with the knowledge that his condition can worsen in a flash.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

"There is irreparable damage in the monastery in the southeastern section, but on the other hand the church is standing firm and in good condition," the 42-year-old French-Syrian said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

"It still shocks me that this condition is so common," she says.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

In April 1853, with many of them in desperate physical condition, the crew of the HMS Investigator was rescued by a sledge party from the HMS Resolute, another British vessel searching for the Franklin party.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Their next taste of international cricket will be in the format as they play three matches in Australia in mid-November, before they sample World Cup conditions with three fixtures in South Africa in mid-January.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

The court heard that Zambada suffered from several health conditions and would need treatment in custody, with Judge Cogan describing him as "drifting towards cognitively impaired."

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

In 2025, London had 281,000 unbuilt homes—houses that were conditionally accepted but never built, often because the developer decided the conditions were too arduous.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

“From a macro perspective, the combination of easy financial conditions, solid economic growth, healthy CEO confidence, and a friendly regulatory backdrop should support continued M&A activity,” they say.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

It will inspire an English surgeon named Joseph Lister to try performing surgery in sterile conditions that exclude or kill all microorganisms.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

Related Words

• action
• case
• plight
• position
• quality
• situation
• status