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if

Pronunciation: /ɪf/

The English word “if” has 11 meanings listed here.

conjunction

  1. 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.
  2. A keyword that invokes conditional processing: in the event that a given condition is true, execute the given statement(s) (otherwise execute other statements).
  3. Supposing that; used with past or past perfect subjunctive to indicate a counterfactual or hypothetical condition.
  4. Even if; even in the circumstances that.
  5. Considering the fact that; given that; introducing a condition that is known to be true.
  6. When; whenever; every time that.
  7. Although; used to introduce a concession; may..but.
  8. Whether; used to introduce a noun clause, an indirect question, that functions as the direct object of certain verbs.
  9. Introducing a relevance conditional; in case.
  10. While; used to introduce a contrast.

noun

  1. An uncertainty, possibility, condition, doubt etc.

Etymology

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…

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.