conditional
gb/kəndˈɪʃənəl/ us/kəndˈɪʃənəl/
B1
Inglés
~ 10000
Acepciones
0 acepciones
adjective
B2
property
1
depending on something else happening
Happening or true only if something else happens or is true.
Patrón de uso:
[something] is conditional on [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes say *"conditional to"* instead of the correct *"conditional on"* or *"conditional upon"* (e.g., say "The offer is conditional on you passing the exam," not "conditional to you passing"). They may also confuse this general meaning with the grammatical term "conditional" used for sentence types.
Sinónimos
dependent (Very close in meaning; slightly more general and used in more contexts, not only about formal decisions or offers.)
|
contingent (More formal; often used in business, law, or academic writing with the same idea of depending on something.)
Antónimos
unconditional (Describes something that is not limited by any conditions or requirements, the direct opposite of conditional.)
Colocaciones
be conditional on
|conditional offer
|conditional approval
|conditional acceptance
|conditional agreement
|conditional release
Temas
business
|law
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- Her job offer is conditional on passing a background check.
- The bank gave us conditional approval for the loan, pending an inspection of the house.
- His release from prison was conditional on regular meetings with a probation officer.
- The funding is conditional on the project being completed within twelve months.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- My visa is conditional on having health insurance.
- Their support is conditional on us cutting costs.
- The deal is conditional on both sides signing the contract.
- Entry to the club is conditional on showing your ID.
adjective
technical
B2
property
2
about conditional grammar forms
About a verb form or sentence that shows a condition (often with "if") and what happens because of it.
Patrón de uso:
[something] is a conditional [sentence/clause/verb form]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes mix up the label "conditional" with specific types like "first conditional" or "second conditional", or think that any sentence with "if" is a "conditional tense" even though English does not have a single, separate conditional tense.
Sinónimos
hypothetical (Often used in grammar to talk about unreal or imagined situations, but does not always specifically mean a conditional structure.)
Antónimos
indicative (In grammar, the indicative mood is used for real statements and facts, contrasting with conditional forms used for conditions and possibilities.)
Colocaciones
conditional sentence
|conditional clause
|conditional form
|conditional mood
|conditional tense
Temas
language
|education
|communication
Ejemplos
- We spent the lesson practicing conditional sentences with 'if' and 'would'.
- In English, the conditional mood is usually formed with 'would' plus the base verb.
- The teacher wrote several conditional clauses on the board and asked us to complete them.
- This exam focuses on the correct use of conditional verb forms.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- We are learning the conditional tense in class today.
- Please write three conditional sentences using 'if'.
- This is a conditional clause because it starts with 'if'.
- The book shows many examples of conditional forms.
Sustantivo
technical
B1
entity
3
a conditional grammar pattern
A type of sentence or verb pattern that talks about a condition (often with 'if') and what happens because of that condition.
Patrón de uso:
the [first/second/etc.] conditional
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes think that "conditional" as a noun always means the second conditional, because that one is often strongly highlighted in textbooks. They may also call any future "if" sentence a "future conditional" instead of using the standard names like first or second conditional.
Sinónimos
conditional sentence (A more explicit grammar term; usually refers to the full sentence instead of the pattern name alone.)
Antónimos
indicative sentence (A sentence that simply states facts or asks questions, contrasting with conditional sentences that express conditions and results.)
Colocaciones
first conditional
|second conditional
|third conditional
|zero conditional
|mixed conditional
Temas
language
|education
|communication
Ejemplos
- We are reviewing the second conditional for unreal present situations.
- In this unit you will learn the difference between the first and zero conditionals.
- Students often confuse the third conditional with mixed conditionals.
- The exam includes several questions on how to form the first conditional.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Today we are studying the first conditional.
- I find the third conditional very hard.
- Can you give me an example of a zero conditional?
- In this exercise, you must use the second conditional.
Sustantivo
technical
C1
entity
4
if–then logical statement
In logic, a sentence like "If P, then Q" that says Q is true when P is true.
Patrón de uso:
a conditional of the form "if [proposition], then [proposition]"
Error frecuente:
Students new to logic may confuse the everyday meaning of "if" with the formal meaning of a material conditional, and may expect the formal conditional to match natural-language conditionals in all cases.
Sinónimos
implication (In formal logic, often used for the same kind of if–then relation, especially in phrases like "material implication".)
Antónimos
biconditional (In logic, a biconditional states "P if and only if Q", requiring both directions, contrasting with a one-way conditional "if P, then Q".)
Colocaciones
material conditional
|counterfactual conditional
|strict conditional
|logical conditional
Temas
logic
|mathematics
|philosophy
|science
|education
Ejemplos
- In propositional logic, a conditional is usually written as P → Q.
- The truth value of a material conditional can be surprising for beginners.
- He analyzed the argument by breaking it into several simple conditionals.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- In this logic class, we learned that a conditional has the form "if P, then Q".
- The teacher showed how to draw a truth table for a conditional.
- This example is a counterfactual conditional, because P is not really true.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
conditional
AFI
GB/kəndˈɪʃənəl/
US/kəndˈɪʃənəl/
Sílabas y acento
con - di - tion - al (4 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (di)
Formas de la palabra
Adjective
- Base: conditional
Noun
- Base: conditional
- Plural: conditionals
Familia de palabras
Forms
conditionals
noun
Core family
condition
noun A2
conditionally
adverb B2
Negative and opposite forms
unconditional
adjective
unconditionally
adverb
Related words
conditioning
noun
conditioner
noun
Advanced or less common
conditionality
noun
precondition
noun
Expresiones
be conditional on
1/bˈi kəndˈɪʃənəl ˈɔn/
fixed phrase
depend on something happening
To happen or be allowed only if something else happens or is true.
Ejemplos
- Admission to the course is conditional on passing the entrance test.
- The sale of the house is conditional on the buyer getting a mortgage.
conditional on
1/kəndˈɪʃənəl ˈɔn/
fixed phrase
only if something else happens
Used to say that something will happen only if another thing happens or is true.
Ejemplos
- The agreement is conditional on timely payment of all fees.
- Participation is conditional on signing the consent form.
conditional upon
1/kəndˈɪʃənəl əpˈɑn/
fixed phrase
formal
only if, formal style
A formal way to say that something will happen only if a certain condition is met.
Ejemplos
- The contract is conditional upon approval from the board.
- His release was conditional upon strict supervision by social services.
first conditional
1/fˈɚst kəndˈɪʃənəl/
fixed phrase
technical
grammar pattern for real future
An English grammar pattern, usually "if" + present simple, and "will" + base verb, used to talk about real or possible future situations and their results.
Ejemplos
- Use the first conditional to talk about real possibilities in the future.
- For homework, write five sentences using the first conditional.
second conditional
1/sˈɛkənd kəndˈɪʃənəl/
fixed phrase
technical
grammar pattern for unreal present/future
An English grammar pattern, usually "if" + past simple, and "would" + base verb, used to talk about unreal or unlikely situations now or in the future and their results.
Ejemplos
- We use the second conditional to talk about imaginary situations, like "If I won the lottery, I would travel the world."
- She still makes mistakes with the second conditional in speaking.
third conditional
1/θˈɚd kəndˈɪʃənəl/
fixed phrase
technical
grammar pattern for unreal past
An English grammar pattern, usually "if" + past perfect, and "would have" + past participle, used to talk about unreal past situations and what could have happened.
Ejemplos
- Use the third conditional to talk about regrets, like "If I had studied more, I would have passed."
- Many learners find the third conditional difficult because both parts are long.
zero conditional
1/zˈɪɹoʊ kəndˈɪʃənəl/
fixed phrase
technical
grammar pattern for general truths
An English grammar pattern, usually "if" + present simple and present simple again, used to talk about things that are always true or usually happen in the same way.
Ejemplos
- The zero conditional is common in scientific facts, for example, "If you heat ice, it melts."
- Students often forget that the zero conditional uses the present simple in both clauses.