condition
B1Neutral, used across all registers from everyday conversation to formal, academic, and technical contexts.
Definition
Meaning
The state in which something or someone exists or operates; a particular state of being.
Can refer to a circumstance, a requirement or stipulation (especially in contracts), an illness or medical problem (e.g., a heart condition), the physical state of an object (good/bad condition), or the process of training/acclimatising (verb form).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Highly polysemous. The meaning is heavily context-dependent. As a noun, its primary sense relates to 'state.' As a verb, it implies preparation or influence.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor. Spelling of related words (e.g., 'conditioner' has no difference). In very formal legal contexts, 'condition precedent' is more common in UK law, while US may use 'condition' more broadly for contractual terms.
Connotations
Largely identical. In medical contexts, both use 'condition' euphemistically for illness.
Frequency
Equally frequent and core in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
N (state)N of N (condition of the patient)N for N (conditions for peace)N that-clause (on condition that...)V N (to condition someone)V N to-inf (conditioned to believe)be V-ed (be conditioned by)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “On condition that...”
- “In no condition to (do something)”
- “Conditional upon”
- “A heart condition”
- “The human condition”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to terms of a contract or deal (e.g., 'We accept your offer on condition of full payment within 30 days.').
Academic
Used to describe variables or states in experiments (e.g., 'The control condition was established.'), or societal circumstances (e.g., 'socio-economic conditions').
Everyday
Describes health (e.g., 'a medical condition'), the state of objects (e.g., 'The car is in good condition.'), or weather (e.g., 'driving conditions').
Technical
In computing, a 'condition' is a Boolean expression; in psychology, 'conditioning' refers to learned behaviour; in medicine, a diagnosed ailment.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The harsh climate conditioned the plants to be more resilient.
- Their hair is conditioned with a weekly treatment.
American English
- The team conditioned hard all summer for the season.
- Consumers are conditioned to expect fast shipping.
adverb
British English
- The contract was accepted conditionally.
- The funds were released conditionally upon signature.
American English
- She agreed conditionally to the proposal.
- The permit is granted conditionally.
adjective
British English
- The sale was conditional upon survey results.
- They made a conditional offer on the house.
American English
- His approval is conditional on you passing the test.
- We received a conditional acceptance from the university.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The car is in very good condition.
- My grandmother has a heart condition.
- The weather conditions are bad today.
- One condition of the job is that you can drive.
- The house was sold in poor condition.
- The prisoners lived in terrible conditions.
- The agreement is conditional upon shareholder approval.
- Years of poverty conditioned his attitude towards money.
- Patients with this condition require specialist care.
- The experiment was conducted under rigorously controlled conditions.
- His philosophical work examines the human condition in the modern age.
- The treaty included a tacit condition regarding future military cooperation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a **CONdition** as the **state** something is **CON**tained in. Or, a CONtract has CONditions.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONDITIONS ARE CONTAINERS (e.g., 'under these conditions'), STATES ARE POSSESSIONS (e.g., 'in good condition'), REQUIRED CONDITIONS ARE KEYS (e.g., 'meet the conditions to unlock the deal').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводите 'condition' всегда как 'условие'. 'Medical condition' — это 'заболевание', 'состояние здоровья', а не 'медицинское условие'.
- 'In good condition' — 'в хорошем состоянии', а не 'в хорошем условии'.
- Глагол 'to condition' часто означает 'приучать, формировать поведение' (как в 'conditioned reflex' — условный рефлекс), а не просто 'обусловливать'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'in a condition' incorrectly (e.g., 'He is in a good condition' sounds odd; prefer 'He is in good condition' or 'His condition is good').
- Confusing 'condition' with 'situation' (a 'condition' is more about the *state* within a situation).
- Overusing the verb form in passive constructions awkwardly (e.g., 'He was conditioned by his parents' vs. the more natural 'His upbringing conditioned him').
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence does 'condition' mean 'a required stipulation'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is both. When referring to a 'state' (e.g., 'in good condition'), it is often uncountable. When referring to a 'requirement' or a 'medical problem', it is countable (e.g., 'several conditions', 'a rare condition').
'Situation' is broader, describing a set of circumstances at a time. 'Condition' is more specific, describing the *state* or *quality* of something within those circumstances. (e.g., The economic *situation* is bad, leading to poor living *conditions*).
It introduces a clause stating a requirement for something else to happen. It is formal. Structure: Main clause + 'on condition that' + clause (often with present/future tense). Example: 'He lent me the money on condition that I pay it back next month.'
Yes, but it's more common in specific contexts. You 'condition' your hair (beauty), an athlete 'conditions' their body (trains), and people/animal's behaviour can be 'conditioned' (psychology). It sounds formal or technical if overused in casual talk.
Collections
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Health and Wellness
B1 · 49 words · Physical and mental health vocabulary.