counterfactual

adjective

Definition of counterfactualnext
as in erroneous

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of counterfactual Mandatory frontier-model approval simultaneously fails the targeting, counterfactual durability, and enforceability tests. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 15 May 2026 In our counterfactual future, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay in South America’s southern cone, so close to Antarctica, have to adapt to some of the harshest effects of the widening hole in the ozone. — Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026 In Dark Matter, a parallel-universe version of Chicago as a desolate wasteland is more obviously counterfactual—and thus less uncanny—than a parallel universe in which the main character’s wife had not given up her career as an artist to have children. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025 Such speculations can be amusing and interesting but, like much counterfactual history, they cannot be tested. — Literary Hub, 19 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for counterfactual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterfactual
  1. erroneous
  2. untrue
  3. untruthful
  4. illusory
  5. fictitious
  6. inexact
  7. inaccurate
  8. misleading
Adjective
  • Another problem was an erroneous assumption about the longevity of fillers.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
  • In addition, the trial judge gave the jury erroneous instructions, the appeals court ruled.
    — David Hilzenrath, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of erroneous
Adjective
  • That is both not enough rides to understand the concerns of frequent riders and flatly untrue.
    — Nik Hunder, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
  • Provided with details of Reuters’ reporting, spokeswoman Courtney Spencer disputed key details as untrue or inaccurate, including the plan to eliminate the entire childhood immunization schedule.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
Definition of untrue
Adjective
  • In February, federal authorities launched an investigation into two federal immigration agents who appeared to have made untruthful statements under oath regarding a nonfatal shooting of an immigrant in Minneapolis in January.
    — Hallie Golden, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2026
  • This inquiry identified insufficient evidence to conclude that Garcia knowingly made an untruthful statement.
    — Brian Maass, CBS News, 19 June 2026
Definition of untruthful
Adjective
  • Conversations need grounding as intuitive Moon in your 3rd House of Communication opposes illusory Neptune in your 9th House of Travel and Learning, so facts and visions compete.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2026
  • That is, real, not merely illusory, measures, so that the allure to breach peace for imagined gains is overshadowed.
    — Keith Tidman, Baltimore Sun, 15 June 2026
Definition of illusory
Adjective
  • The book traces the fictitious Yeoman family’s evolution over generations from self-sufficient homesteaders to participants in global markets.
    — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 23 June 2026
  • Hosting its usual presentation at its headquarters, located a stone’s throw from San Babila square, the brand installed video walls that broadcast a fictitious runway show created with the help of AI.
    — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 22 June 2026
Definition of fictitious
Adjective
  • The polyester cloth was scratchy on my thighs, the fit inexact.
    — Benny Peterson, Vogue, 4 May 2026
  • Predicting space weather remains a decidedly inexact science, comparable to weather forecasting decades ago on Earth.
    — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 31 Mar. 2026
Definition of inexact
Adjective
  • That description is inaccurate and misrepresents both our organization and our mission.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 18 July 2026
  • Decisions may ultimately rely on information that originated from an inaccurate source record.
    — Beth Worthy, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of inaccurate
Adjective
  • The information on garment labels is often inaccurate or misleading, according to new research by the European Commission.
    — Tamsin Blanchard, Vogue, 16 July 2026
  • The standout interlude is the soldiers’ visit to the island domain of Circe, a treacherous witch played with deceptive calm and a misleading air of distraction by a bone-chilling Samantha Morton.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
Definition of misleading

Browse Nearby Words

counterevidence
counterfactual
counterfeit
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Counterfactual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterfactual. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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