what-if

American  

[hwuht-if, hwot‑, wuht‑, wot‑] / ˈʰwʌtˈɪf, ˈʰwɒt‑, ˈwʌt‑, ˈwɒt‑ /

adjective

1. hypothetical.

   a what-if scenario.

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noun

1. a hypothetical case or situation; conjecture.

   a series of what-ifs.

what-if British  

noun

1. informal a hypothetical question; speculation

   one of the great what-ifs of modern history

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what if Idioms  

1. Suppose that, as in What if the speaker doesn't get here in time? This expression is in effect a shortening of “what would happen if.” It was first recorded about 1420.

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Etymology

Origin of what-if

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

A bout that should have happened in both men's primes, it now lingers as boxing's great what-if - but it appears it may finally be made a reality.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

In her new research-based what-if book “Nuclear War: A Scenario,” Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen reveals how a nuclear holocaust would play out in real time.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2024

A Hollywood strike actually made it possible to do both, but Selleck is at peace, writing “my only regret was that the what-if was there from time to time.”

From Seattle Times • May 9, 2024

“Past Lives” is a wistful what-if story about two people, the children they were and the adults they become.

From New York Times • Jun. 1, 2023

“I had to answer that what-if question with Hudson. Just like we answered our own.”

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera