as in erroneous
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Recent Examples of counterfactual
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
Ferguson, who has published a collection of counterfactual histories, is an outlier among academics.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Apparently getting an intrinsic reward for others’ wellbeing will take coordination only so far, without counterfactual reasoning to tell you if your actions are directly responsible for others’ behavior.
—Matthew Hutson, IEEE Spectrum, 17 June 2019
See All Example Sentences for counterfactual
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
Ferguson, who has published a collection of counterfactual histories, is an outlier among academics.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Apparently getting an intrinsic reward for others’ wellbeing will take coordination only so far, without counterfactual reasoning to tell you if your actions are directly responsible for others’ behavior.
—Matthew Hutson, IEEE Spectrum, 17 June 2019
See All Example Sentences for counterfactual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for counterfactual
Adjective
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This story has been updated to remove erroneous information on funding for the Boulevard Green project and to correct details on the trip to Dallas.—
Olivia Wakim,
AJC.com,
17 Apr. 2026
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American Express is pledging to protect users from erroneous transactions made by agents that are registered with Amex.—
Jack Kubinec,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said those claims were untrue and the route had been reopened.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2026
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The suggestion that the University is singling out the Pride flag with this policy is untrue.—
Samantha Chaney,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In his earlier testimony on Thursday morning, Espinoza told Wise County District Attorney James Stainton that Horner had been untruthful throughout the investigative process.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
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The child abuse pediatrician said the claims in the post, which mirrored those on the fundraising page, were also untruthful.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Its sense of one of the most famous buildings in world history is romantic, fantasy filled and illusory.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
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Physicists treat the volume of the black hole as illusory, like a hologram.—
Shalma Wegsman,
Quanta Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The moment that lingered came later, when the (sadly fictitious) films of William Harbeck brought me out onto the open deck at dusk.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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In those previous incidents, charges were either not pursued by the Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, or were dismissed during the criminal proceedings in a handful of cases involving assault, disorderly conduct, drug possession, and possession of a fictitious identification card.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Predicting space weather remains a decidedly inexact science, comparable to weather forecasting decades ago on Earth.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
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The food arrived on a mottled brown ceramic plate, its inexact edges forming something between a circle and an octagon.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Perhaps most significantly, 36 percent of consumers have already returned products because of inaccurate or inconsistent information provided during the digital journey.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
20 Apr. 2026
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An earlier version of this recap included an inaccurate scene description; it has been corrected.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Idahoans United has been collecting signatures for about 10 months after suing the Idaho attorney general and secretary of state over the draft ballot title and financial impact information that the nonprofit said was misleading.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
19 Apr. 2026
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California has strong consumer protection laws that prohibit false and misleading advertising.—
Susan Shelley,
Oc Register,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Counterfactual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterfactual. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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