Conditions

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kənˈdɪʃənz/

Definitions

1. A collection of specific factors and circumstances that influence a situation or process' outcome
2. Factors that must be met as rules or requirements ; the current state or circumstances influencing a situation
3. Qualities or criteria that apply as prerequisites ; the situation or context that surrounds or affects an event or object

Etymology: The plural "conditions" is simply the form of "condition" used when more than one requirement or circumstance is meant, so its story is that of the singular. English took the word from Old French "condicion", which came from Latin "condicio", a noun meaning an agreement or stipulation, the kind of terms two parties settled on before a deal. That sense of a binding term is still visible in the plural: a contract's conditions are the terms it hangs on. The most surprising twist is the spelling. The Latin root was "condicio", but English writers later altered it to "condition" through confusion with a different Latin word, "conditio", meaning a situation or state of affairs. The spelling change stuck, and the two senses, a stipulated term and a state of circumstance, ended up blending in English. English already had a word for "state" or "condition", the Old English "hād", which the Latin-derived term eventually displaced. The plural form therefore covers both the rules attached to an agreement and the surrounding circumstances that shape a situation.

Synonyms: terms, circumstances, situations, requirements, provisions

Antonyms: exceptions, exemptions, privileges