condition
/kənˈdɪʃ(ə)n/ noun, verb
Forms conditions conditioning conditioned
- noun A state or quality. “National reports on the condition of public education are dismal.”
- noun A particular state of being. “Hypnosis is a peculiar condition of the nervous system.”
- noun (obsolete) The situation of a person or persons, particularly their social and/or economic class, rank. “A man of his condition has no place to make requests.”
- noun The health status of a medical patient. “My aunt couldn’t walk up the stairs in her condition.”
- noun A certain abnormal state of health; a malady or sickness.
- noun A requirement or prerequisite. “Environmental protection is a condition for sustainability.”
- noun A logical clause or phrase that a conditional statement uses. The phrase can either be true or false.
- noun (law) A clause in a contract or agreement indicating that a certain contingency may modify the principal obligation in some way.
- verb To subject to the process of acclimation. “I became conditioned to the absence of seasons in San Diego.”
- verb To subject to different conditions, especially as an exercise. “They were conditioning their shins in their karate class.”
- verb (transitive) To make dependent on a condition to be fulfilled; to make conditional on.
- verb (transitive) To place conditions or limitations upon.
- verb To shape the behaviour of someone to do something. “The children were conditioned to speak up if they had any disagreements.”
- verb (transitive) To treat, especially hair with hair conditioner.
- verb (transitive) To contract; to stipulate; to agree.
- verb (transitive) To test or assay, as silk (to ascertain the proportion of moisture it contains).
Synonyms
way fettle requisite necessity status precondition stipulation circumstance consideration shape term experimental condition discipline train check stipulate qualify specify
Etymology
From Middle English condicioun, from Old French condicion (French condition), from Latin condicio. An unetymological change in spelling due to a confusion with conditio. Displaced native Old English hād (“state, condition”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun Mode or state of being; state or situation with regard to external circumstances or influences, or to physical or mental integrity, health, strength, etc.; predicament; rank; position, estate.
- noun Essential quality; property; attribute.
- verb To make terms; to stipulate.
- verb To impose upon an object those relations or conditions without which knowledge and thought are alleged to be impossible.
Etymology [F., fr. L. conditio (better condicio) agreement, compact, condition; con- + a root signifying to show, point out, akin to dicere to say, dicare to proclaim, dedicate. See Teach, Token.]
Etymology [Cf. LL. conditionare. See Condition, n.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “condition”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details