if.
Supposing that, assuming that, in the circumstances that; suppositive used to introduce a condition that may be (or prove to be) either true or false.
Meaning & usage
Supposing that, assuming that, in the circumstances that; suppositive used to introduce a condition that may be (or prove to be) either true or false.
I'll do it next week if I have time.
I'll come only if you do the driving.
Supposing that, assuming that, in the circumstances that; suppositive used to introduce a condition that may be (or prove to be) either true or false. A keyword that invokes conditional processing: in the event that a given condition is true, execute the given statement(s) (otherwise execute other statements).
if A then B else C
Supposing that; used with past or past perfect subjunctive to indicate a counterfactual or hypothetical condition.
If she hadn't told me, I wouldn't know.
If I was rich, I'd live in a big house by the sea.
Supposing that; used with past or past perfect subjunctive to indicate a counterfactual or hypothetical condition. Even if; even in the circumstances that.
I wouldn't marry you if you were the last man on earth.
You're finishing your chowder if you sit there all afternoon!
Considering the fact that; given that; introducing a condition that is known to be true.
The drain's blocked — and if the drain's blocked, the water won't flow.
When; whenever; every time that.
If you heat water to 100° C, it boils.
If it rains, it pours.
Although; used to introduce a concession; may..but.
He was a great friend, if a little stingy at the bar.
She won her team's admiration, if not the award, for her performance.
Whether; used to introduce a noun clause, an indirect question, that functions as the direct object of certain verbs.
Introducing a relevance conditional; in case.
I have leftover cake if you want some.
If you want to go home, I have the car keys.
While; used to introduce a contrast.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English if, yif, yef, from Old English ġif (“if”), from Proto-West Germanic *jabu, *jabē, from Proto-Germanic *jabai (“when, if”). Cognate with Scots gif (“if, whether”), Saterland Frisian af, of (“if, whether”), West Frisian oft (“whether”), Dutch of (“or, whether, but”), Middle Low German ef, if, af, of ("if; whether"; > German Low German of), German ob (“if, whether”), Icelandic ef (“if”).
An uncertainty, possibility, condition, doubt etc.
The board can't approve this project; there are too many ifs.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English if, yif, yef, from Old English ġif (“if”), from Proto-West Germanic *jabu, *jabē, from Proto-Germanic *jabai (“when, if”). Cognate with Scots gif (“if, whether”), Saterland Frisian af, of (“if, whether”), West Frisian oft (“whether”), Dutch of (“or, whether, but”), Middle Low German ef, if, af, of ("if; whether"; > German Low German of), German ob (“if, whether”), Icelandic ef (“if”).
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.