— conditionality , n. — conditionally , adv.
/keuhn dish"euh nl/ , adj.
1. imposing, containing, subject to, or depending on a condition or conditions; not absolute; made or allowed on certain terms: conditional acceptance.
2. Gram. (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.
a. (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.
b. (of a syllogism) containing at least one conditional proposition as a premise.
4. Math. (of an inequality) true for only certain values of the variable, as x + 3 > 0 is only true for real numbers greater than -3. Cf. absolute (def. 12).
n.
5. Gram.
a. (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."
b. a sentence, clause, or word expressing a condition.
[ 1350-1400; ME condicionel condicionalis, equiv. to condicion- (s. of condicio ) CONDITION + -alis -AL 1 ]
Syn. 1. dependent, contingent, relative.