conditional

American  

[kuhn-dish-uh-nl] / kənˈdɪʃ ə nl /

adjective

1. imposing, containing, subject to, or depending on a condition or conditions; not absolute; made or allowed on certain terms.

   conditional acceptance.

   Synonyms:

   relative, contingent, dependent

2. 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.

3. Logic.

   1. (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.

   2. (of a syllogism) containing at least one conditional proposition as a premise.

4. 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.

---

noun

1. Grammar.

   1. (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.”

   2. a sentence, clause, or word expressing a condition.

conditional British  

/ kənˈdɪʃənəl /

adjective

1. depending on other factors; not certain

2. 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 "

3. 1. (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

   2. (of an infinite series) divergent when the absolute values of the terms are considered

4. 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

1. grammar

   1. a conditional form of a verb

   2. a conditional clause or sentence

2. logic a conditional proposition

Other Word Forms

• conditionality noun
• conditionally adverb
• nonconditional adjective

Etymology

Origin of conditional

1350–1400; Middle English condicionel < Anglo-French, Middle French < Late Latin condiciōnālis, equivalent to condiciōn- (stem of condiciō ) condition + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

And that in turn is conditional on a host of at this stage unknowable developments: the deployment of ground forces, the contribution of neighbors and others to the shipping challenge.

From The Wall Street Journal

But at his press conference, Chair Jerome Powell said that was conditional on inflation falling.

From The Wall Street Journal

During the past year, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has granted full approval to one crypto firm, and conditional approval to at least four others, to establish a national trust bank.

From MarketWatch

The new proposals - first reported in the i newspaper - could see councils issue conditional cautions without having to take offenders to court, in an effort to speed up enforcement.

From BBC

But Brusuelas adds that Powell could provide some flexibility by noting that monetary policy going forward will be conditional on inflation expectations remaining well anchored.

From Barron's

Related Words

• limited
• provisional
• restrictive
• tentative