Conditional
/kənˈdɪʃənl/
Definitions
2 meaningsSubject to one or more conditions; dependent on something else.
/kənˈdɪʃənl/
Dependent on a condition or conditions being met.
The offer was conditional upon the completion of a background check.
💡 Simply: Imagine your allowance is conditional. You'll get it IF you do your chores. It means something only happens if something else happens first.
👶 For kids: If you do something, then something else happens! Like, "If you eat all your vegetables, you can have dessert!"
More Examples
Her success in the competition is conditional on her physical performance.
A conditional lease allows the renter to leave the property at the end of the lease term.
How It's Used
"The contract is conditional upon the buyer securing a mortgage."
"A conditional statement is one that asserts that if one thing is true, another thing must be true."
"Approval of the project is conditional on the availability of funding."
A statement that is true only if the condition is met.
/kənˈdɪʃənl/
A statement expressing a condition.
The conditional clause introduces the possibility of an action.
💡 Simply: A conditional is like a "what if" statement. Like, "If it rains, we will stay inside." The "if it rains" is the condition.
👶 For kids: It's like a "what if" sentence! "If I have a cookie, I will be happy!"
More Examples
She used a complex conditional to explain the outcome.
The logic of the program depends heavily on conditional statements.
How It's Used
"A conditional can be represented symbolically using an arrow."
"The 'if...then' construction is a common example of a conditional."
Idioms & expressions
conditional release
The release of a prisoner with certain conditions that must be met.
"The prisoner was granted conditional release after serving the minimum sentence."
conditional love
Love that depends on certain conditions being met.
"Children often experience conditional love from parents who reward specific behaviors."
From Medieval Latin *conditionalis*, from Latin *condicio* ('condition'). The term has been used in legal contexts since the 15th century and in logic and grammar since the 16th.
Used in legal and philosophical contexts since the 15th century, evolving to include logical and programming usages.
Memory tip
Think of a 'conditional' clause in a sentence - it depends on something else.
Word Origin
"relating to conditions"