condition

1 of 2

noun

con·​di·​tion kən-ˈdi-shən 

1

a

: a premise upon which the fulfillment of an agreement depends : stipulation

b

obsolete : covenant

c

: a provision making the effect of a legal instrument contingent upon an uncertain event

must meet the terms and conditions of the contract

also : the event itself

2

: something essential to the appearance or occurrence of something else : prerequisite: such as

a

: an environmental requirement

Available oxygen is an essential condition for animal life.

b

: the clause of a conditional sentence

3

a

: a restricting or modifying factor : qualification

b

: an unsatisfactory academic grade that may be raised by doing additional work

4

a

: a state of being

the human condition

b

: social status : rank

c

: a usually defective state of health

a serious heart condition

d

: a state of physical fitness or readiness for use

The car was in good condition.

exercising to get into condition

e

conditions plural : attendant circumstances

poor living conditions

safe working conditions

5

a

obsolete : temper of mind

b

obsolete : trait

c

conditions plural, archaic : manners, ways

condition

2 of 2

verb

conditioned; conditioning kən-ˈdi-sh(ə-)niŋ 

intransitive verb

archaic : to make stipulations

transitive verb

1

: to agree by stipulating

2

: to make conditional

3

a

: to put into a proper state for work or use

b

: air-condition

4

: to give a grade of condition to

5

a

: to adapt, modify, or mold so as to conform to an environing culture

traditional beliefs conditioning a child's attitude

b

: to modify so that an act or response previously associated with one stimulus becomes associated with another

conditionable

kən-ˈdi-sh(ə-)nə-bəl 

adjective

Synonyms

Noun

• estate
• fettle
• form
• health
• keeping
• kilter
• nick [British]
• order
• repair
• shape
• trim

Verb

• season
• train

Examples of condition in a Sentence

Noun

Happiness is the state or condition of being happy.

Their weakened condition makes them more likely to get sick.

Verb

the length of time that it takes for runners to condition their bodies for a marathon

a company that must condition its traditional ways of doing business to the realities of the global economy

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

During a total solar eclipse, the sky can darken significantly, resembling twilight or even dusk, depending on factors such as atmospheric conditions, the duration of totality and the observer's location. —The Arizona Republic, 8 Apr. 2024

This type of vision problem can signify a severe condition. —Selene Yeager, Health, 8 Apr. 2024

The condition of the injured is unknown, and the cause of the fire is under investigation, Pickett said. —Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024

The big man was in a condition of thrilling remorse. —Kevin Barry, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024

The staffer and other Western officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive assessments. —Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024

Yet the people who receive the first generation of medical implants may find themselves in the same position as those who use switch technology now: functionally required to stay unemployed, poor, or even single as a condition of accessing the services keeping them alive. —S. I. Rosenbaum, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2024

Nausea is a symptom, rather than a condition, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. —Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024

From the beginning, Mnuchin appeared to take a prominent role in the inquiry, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the sensitive matter. —Tony Romm, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024

Verb

The conservative Freedom Caucus, for example, conditioned federal aid on several factors, including cutting the federal budget elsewhere, limiting how the money could be spent and tying it to the Biden administration’s policies on liquified natural gas export terminals. —Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024

In any event, persuading the crown prince to enter a normalization deal would require Washington to offer a binding security guarantee, which presumably would be conditioned on an array of concessions by Riyadh that MBS seems unlikely to make. —Steven Simon, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024

This is a threat to condition military assistance to Israel based on absolutely no evidence and grounded in a ridiculous and unachievable standard of conduct. —Matthew Continetti, National Review, 6 Apr. 2024

The OTAs begin with meetings and conditioning the first week, and Kelce last year joined Mahomes in Texas for a pass-catching camp. —Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2024

This Week Women are generally conditioned to accommodate to other’s wants and needs at the expense of their own, and that mindset doesn’t work at the poker table. —Bonnie Marcus, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

Years of bargain hunting has conditioned shoppers to look for discounts instead of paying full price, a mentality that remains to this day. —Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024

A lot of people may be uninhibited because they’ve been conditioned to feel like that is the nature of the business. —Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 9 Feb. 2024

Just glide some on to condition and rejuvenate lips dehydrated by a day in the sun. —Barbara Bellesi Zito, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English condicion, from Anglo-French, from Latin condicion-, condicio terms of agreement, condition, from condicere to agree, from com- + dicere to say, determine — more at diction

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing condition

• air-condition
• in (good) working order/condition
• on (the) condition that
• out of condition
• under no condition
• pristine condition
• necessary condition
• in good physical condition
• on one condition
• in no condition
• the human condition
• on condition of anonymity
• in (good/excellent, etc.) condition
• sufficient condition
• mint condition
• in poor/bad (etc.) condition
• critical condition

Kids Definition

condition

1 of 2 noun

con·​di·​tion kən-ˈdish-ən 

1

: something on which the carrying out of an agreement depends

conditions of employment

2

: something essential to the appearance or occurrence of something else

3

: something that limits or restricts : qualification

4

a

: a state of being

b

: position in life

people of humble condition

c

plural : state of affairs

poor living conditions

5

a

: a bodily state in which something is wrong

a serious heart condition

b

: a state of physical fitness or readiness for use

an athlete in good condition

the car was in poor condition

condition

2 of 2 verb

conditioned; conditioning

-ˈdish-(ə-)niŋ

1

: to put into a proper or desired condition

2

a

: to adapt, modify, or mold to respond in a particular way

b

: to change the behavior of (an organism) in such a way that a response to a given stimulus becomes connected with a different and formerly unrelated stimulus

dogs can be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell

Medical Definition

condition

1 of 2 noun

con·​di·​tion kən-ˈdish-ən 

1

: something essential to the appearance or occurrence of something else

especially : an environmental requirement

available oxygen is an essential condition for animal life

2

a

: a usually defective state of health

a serious heart condition

b

: a state of physical fitness

exercising to get into condition

condition

2 of 2 transitive verb

conditioned; conditioning -ˈdish-(ə-)niŋ 

: to cause to undergo a change so that an act or response previously associated with one stimulus becomes associated with another

conditionable

-(ə-)nə-bəl 

adjective

Legal Definition

condition

1 of 2 noun

con·​di·​tion

1

: an uncertain future act or event whose occurrence or nonoccurrence determines the rights or obligations of a party under a legal instrument and especially a contract

also : a clause in the instrument describing the act or event and its effect

— concurrent condition

: a condition that is to be fulfilled by one party at the same time that a mutual condition is to be fulfilled by another party

— condition implied in law

: constructive condition in this entry

— condition precedent \ -​pri-​ˈsēd-​ᵊnt, -​ˈpre-​sə-​dənt \

: a condition that must be fulfilled before performance under a contract can become due, an estate can vest, or a right can become effective

— condition subsequent

: a condition whose fulfillment defeats or modifies an estate or right already in effect or vested or discharges an already existing duty under a contract

— constructive condition

: a condition created by operation of law

called also condition implied in law

compare express condition in this entry

— express condition

: a condition created and explicitly stated by the parties to a contract compare constructive condition in this entry

— potestative condition \ ˈpō-​tes-​ˌtā-​tiv \

in the civil law of Louisiana : a condition whose fulfillment was completely within the power of the obligated party

Note: Article 1770 of the Louisiana Civil Code eliminates the term potestative condition, stating that suspensive conditions which depend on the whim of the obligated party make the obligation null, and that resolutory conditions which depend on the will of the obligated party must be fulfilled in good faith.

— resolutory condition \ ˌre-​zə-​ˈlü-​tə-​rē-​, ri-​ˈzäl-​yu̇-​ˌtōr-​ē-​ \

in the civil law of Louisiana : a condition that upon fulfillment terminates an already enforceable obligation and entitles the parties to be restored to their original positions see also potestative condition in this entry

— suspensive condition

in the civil law of Louisiana : a condition which must be fulfilled before an obligation is enforceable see also potestative condition in this entry

2

: a state of being

a latent defective condition

3

: one of the rights or obligations of the policyholder or the insurer set forth in an insurance policy

conditional adjective

conditionally adverb

condition

2 of 2 transitive verb

conditioned; conditioning

: to make subject to conditions

the sale…was orally conditioned upon approval of the patent

—J. D. Calamari and J. M. Perillo