Word
conditional
Phoneticscon·di·tion·al, stress on the second syllable
US/kənˈdɪʃənəɫ/
UK/kəndˈɪʃənəl/
Definitions
01depending on a condition
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. only happening or true if something else happens first.
adj. subject to or dependent on one or more conditions being met.
“The bank gave them a conditional offer on the house, depending on a survey.”
“The peace treaty remained conditional upon the immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops from the disputed border regions.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02grammar
B2 · Upper Intermediate Science Technical
adj. describing a sentence or word that shows a condition, often using 'if'.
adj. expressing a condition or supposition; typically used to describe clauses or moods that indicate a hypothetical scenario.
“In the sentence 'If it rains, we will stay home,' the first part is a conditional clause.”
“The student struggled to master the third conditional, which requires the past perfect in the 'if' clause and 'would have' in the main clause.”
Usage
In linguistics, this often refers to 'if-then' structures.
Synonyms
03a conditional statement
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical
n. a sentence or a piece of computer code that starts with 'if'.
n. a statement, proposition, or grammatical mood that expresses a condition; in programming, a logic gate that branches based on a boolean value.
“The programmer added a conditional to the code to check if the user was logged in.”
“The algorithm uses a series of nested conditionals to determine the optimal routing path based on real-time traffic data.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“In late January, Marineland was given conditional approval by the federal government to export the animals.” Etymology
From French conditionnel, from Old French condicionel, equivalent to condition + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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