the conditional
noun
grammar
: the mood or form that is used to say that something is true or happens only if something else is true or happens
The conditional is often marked by the word "if."
Examples of the conditional in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
City staff are recommending approval of the conditional use permit and site review for the new restaurant, but subject to several conditions.
—
Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026
For Isserlis, the conditional nature of the arrangement is painful in and of itself.
—John Phipps, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
Approval by the Planning Commission included 156 conditions to the tentative tract map and four conditions each to the design review and the conditional use permit.
—Jim Drummond, Oc Register, 15 Jan. 2026
Monday, councilmembers voted to uphold the conditional use for a car wash at the site, but then voted to deny the project's site plan.
—Tori Mason, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
The vote to grant the conditional approval was 4-1, with Commissioner Dave Eagle opposed.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Jan. 2026
The details of the conditional settlement were not immediately clear.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 7 Jan. 2026
Waukesha County District Attorney Lesli Boese, whose office prosecuted Geyser in the 2014 stabbing case, expressed her hope that the state Department of Health Services, which has custody of Geyser, will file a petition to revoke the conditional release she had been granted.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 25 Nov. 2025
If the conditional-use permit is approved by the council, the next steps will be for the developers to submit grading, building and off-site improvement plans to the city for further review.
—Stacy Brandt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025
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Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026
For Isserlis, the conditional nature of the arrangement is painful in and of itself.
—John Phipps, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
Approval by the Planning Commission included 156 conditions to the tentative tract map and four conditions each to the design review and the conditional use permit.
—Jim Drummond, Oc Register, 15 Jan. 2026
Monday, councilmembers voted to uphold the conditional use for a car wash at the site, but then voted to deny the project's site plan.
—Tori Mason, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
The vote to grant the conditional approval was 4-1, with Commissioner Dave Eagle opposed.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Jan. 2026
The details of the conditional settlement were not immediately clear.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 7 Jan. 2026
Waukesha County District Attorney Lesli Boese, whose office prosecuted Geyser in the 2014 stabbing case, expressed her hope that the state Department of Health Services, which has custody of Geyser, will file a petition to revoke the conditional release she had been granted.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 25 Nov. 2025
If the conditional-use permit is approved by the council, the next steps will be for the developers to submit grading, building and off-site improvement plans to the city for further review.
—Stacy Brandt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“The conditional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20conditional. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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