counterfactual
[ koun-ter-fak-choo-uh l ]
/ ˌkaʊn tərˈfæk tʃu əl /
noun Logic.
a conditional statement the first clause of which expresses something contrary to fact, as “If I had known.”
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Nearby words
- counterearth,
- countereconomy,
- counterespionage,
- counterexample,
- counterextension,
- counterfeit,
- counterfeiting,
- counterfoil,
- counterforce,
- counterfort
Origin of counterfactual
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
counterfactual
/ (ˌkauntəˈfæktʃʊəl) logic /
adjective
expressing what has not happened but could, would, or might under differing conditions
noun
a conditional statement in which the first clause is a past tense subjunctive statement expressing something contrary to fact, as inif she had hurried she would have caught the bus
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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counterfactual
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper