counterfactual

Definition of counterfactualnext

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 Such speculations can be amusing and interesting but, like much counterfactual history, they cannot be tested. Literary Hub, 19 Nov. 2025 In an era where many of the thought-leaders and decision-makers in our global society refuse to accept the actual facts of reality, and instead argue from a counterfactual position that supports their preferred narrative, this isn’t just a problem for practicing scientists. Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 13 Aug. 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
  • This story has been updated to correct erroneous information originally released by the city of Radcliff.
    Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Mar. 2026
  • This was due to erroneous data provided by Dallas County, the Texas Secretary of State’s office told Hearst Newspapers.
    Bayliss Wagner, Austin American Statesman, 3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Colleagues say this initial caricature of Britt as a hyper-partisan MAGA mom is simply untrue.
    Sam Gringlas, NPR, 27 Feb. 2026
  • The writers don’t concoct some miraculous escape from judgment that would be untrue to the period.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Federal authorities announced an investigation Friday of two immigration officers who appeared to have made untruthful statements under oath about a shooting in Minneapolis last month.
    Hannah Schoenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Trump, of course, was rude, untruthful, and excessively, if not quite so egregiously, long-winded in his first term, too.
    Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • But Swift doesn’t charge that much upfront; instead, Ticketmaster sells a limited number of tickets at an illusory low price.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2026
  • Disciplined Saturn encounters illusory Neptune in your 6th House of Work and Health, pushing you to define tasks and protect your focus from distractions.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • To ventriloquize one’s parent is a bold move, and fictitious Barbara would absolutely read it as a betrayal.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Who wants to sit through a fictitious novelist’s clumsy drafts?
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Developing quarterbacks in the NFL always has been an inexact science, with mixed results each season for almost every team.
    D. Orlando Ledbetter, AJC.com, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Kikuchi and Imai are an inexact comparison.
    Chandler Rome, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • What to do if your bill seems wrong Customers who believe their bill may be inaccurate should first contact Piedmont Natural Gas at 800-752-7504 directly to review the charges.
    Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 10 Mar. 2026
  • That assumption is grossly inaccurate.
    Robert Pearl, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • But without context, that figure is deeply misleading.
    Robert Pearl, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
  • Staff member Brandon Richards, who made $136,000 last year, is tasked with quickly dispatching responses to information the governor’s team deems inaccurate or misleading that is spread on social media and in the media.
    Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Counterfactual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/counterfactual. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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