con·di·tion·al
kən-ˈdish-nəl 
-ˈdi-shə-nᵊl
1
: subject to, implying, or dependent upon a condition
a conditional promise
2
: expressing, containing, or implying a supposition
the conditional clause if he speaks
3
a
: true only for certain values of the variables or symbols involved
conditional equations
b
: stating the case when one or more random variables are fixed or one or more events are known
conditional frequency distribution
4
a
: conditioned sense 2
conditional reflex
conditional response
b
: established by conditioning as the stimulus eliciting a conditional response
1
: a conditional word, clause, verb form, or morpheme
Examples of conditional in a Sentence
Adjective
“If she speaks, you must listen” is a conditional sentence.
The sentence contains the conditional clause “if she speaks.”
Noun
The clause “if she speaks” is a conditional.
The conditional is often marked by the word “if.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
The team, who also got a second-round pick and a conditional pick that became a seventh rounder in the deal, then signed Mack to a six-year, $141 million extension through 2024, with $90 million guaranteed.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
Somdip Dey, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Unlike France and Canada, however, Starmer made British recognition of a Palestinian state conditional on Israel’s actions.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for conditional
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Adjective
He was released on a $75,000 bond after spending the weekend in jail, which was conditional on him attending drug treatment.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
The team, who also got a second-round pick and a conditional pick that became a seventh rounder in the deal, then signed Mack to a six-year, $141 million extension through 2024, with $90 million guaranteed.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
Noun
Neuroscientists have already identified distinct brain activity patterns when programmers think about loops, conditionals or data structures.
—Somdip Dey, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Unlike France and Canada, however, Starmer made British recognition of a Palestinian state conditional on Israel’s actions.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for conditional
Cite this Entry
“Conditional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conditional. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
conditional
adjective
con·di·tion·al
kən-ˈdish-nəl, -ən-ᵊl
1
a
: conditioned
conditional reflex
conditional response
b
: eliciting a conditional response
a conditional stimulus
2
: permitting survival only under special growth or environmental conditions
conditional lethal mutations
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