conditional
[ kuhn-dish-uh-nl ]
/ kənˈdɪʃ ə nl /
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adjective
imposing, containing, subject to, or depending on a condition or conditions; not absolute; made or allowed on certain terms: conditional acceptance.
Grammar. (of a sentence, clause, mood, or word) involving or expressing a condition, as the first clause in the sentence If it rains, he won't go.
Logic.
- (of a proposition) asserting that the existence or occurrence of one thing or event depends on the existence or occurrence of another thing or event; hypothetical.
- (of a syllogism) containing at least one conditional proposition as a premise.
Mathematics. (of an inequality) true for only certain values of the variable, as x + 3 > 0 is only true for real numbers greater than −3.Compare absolute (def. 12).
noun
Grammar.
- (in some languages) a mood, tense, or other category used in expressing conditions, often corresponding to an English verb phrase beginning with would, as Spanish comería “he would eat.”
- a sentence, clause, or word expressing a condition.
OTHER WORDS FOR conditional
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Origin of conditional
OTHER WORDS FROM conditional
con·di·tion·al·i·ty, nouncon·di·tion·al·ly, adverbnon·con·di·tion·al, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use conditional in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for conditional
conditional
/ (kənˈdɪʃənəl) /
adjective
depending on other factors; not certain
grammar (of a clause, conjunction, form of a verb, or whole sentence) expressing a condition on which something else is contingent: " If he comes " is a conditional clause in the sentence " If he comes I shall go "
- (of an equation or inequality) true for only certain values of the variable: x ² –1 = x + 1 is a conditional equation, only true for x = 2 or –1
- (of an infinite series) divergent when the absolute values of the terms are considered
Also: hypothetical logic (of a proposition) consisting of two component propositions associated by the words if…then so that the proposition is false only when the antecedent is true and the consequent false. Usually written: p → q or p ⊃ q, where p is the antecedent, q the consequent, and → or ⊃ symbolizes implies
noun
grammar
- a conditional form of a verb
- a conditional clause or sentence
logic a conditional proposition
Derived forms of conditional
conditionality, nounconditionally, adverbCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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