condition
/kənˈdɪʃ(ə)n
/noun
1 [mass noun, usually with adjective] The state of something with regard to its appearance, quality, or working order: the wiring is in good condition [in singular]: the bridge is in an extremely dangerous condition...
- This Monday, an ice storm once again left the university parking lots in extremely unsafe and dangerous condition.
- Sections of the footpaths are in an extremely dangerous condition, and all the more so given that it is our old folk who use them most.
- Subsequent inspection by another garage well versed in Minis revealed that the car was in extremely dangerous condition.
Synonyms
state, shape, order
British informal nick
1.1A person’s or animal’s state of health or physical fitness: the baby was in good condition at birth [in singular]: she was in a serious condition...
- Not wanting to take chances, now the puppies are given syrup as a booster dose to improve their health condition, says the animal keeper.
- Get yourself into good physical condition before you even consider racing
- The job applicants were evaluated in eight categories, including physical condition, health and personality.
Synonyms
fitness, physical fitness, health, state of health, form, shape, trim, fettle
1.2 [count noun, often with modifier] An illness or other medical problem: a heart condition...
- The patient had rheumatoid arthritis, a condition associated with pyoderma gangrenosum.
- Although this is an extremely difficult condition to live with, Eloise was in high spirits throughout the trip.
- In order to treat this condition, you will need to visit the vet.
Synonyms
disorder, problem, defect, disease, illness, complaint, ailment, weakness, infirmity, malady, indisposition, malaise, sickness, affliction, infection, upset
informal bug, virus
British informal lurgy
1.3 [in singular] The situation in life of a particular group: the sorrows of the human condition...
- He saw radical skepticism as a necessary consequence of the misery of the human condition.
- Artists through the ages have formed questions, comments and concerns about the human condition.
- Alleged experts on the human condition voiced concern that the recipients would be somehow damaged.
1.4 archaic Social position: those of humbler condition...
- It is good for such boys to measure themselves with their equals in age, of a humbler condition in life.
- Born in December 1864, in Fère-en-Tardenois, France, Camille grew up in a family of humble condition.
2 (conditions) The circumstances or factors affecting the way in which people live or work, especially with regard to their well-being: harsh working conditions...
- It was further agreed that no person is expected to continue living in conditions unfit for human habitation.
- Difficult social and economic conditions are not regarded as grounds for granting asylum, Ask said.
- It was also aimed at revealing the poor conditions under which people lived in the province.
Synonyms
circumstances, surroundings;
environment, situation, state of affairs, set-up, position, context, background, setting, ambience, atmosphere, climate, milieu, habitat, way of life
informal circs
2.1The factors or prevailing situation influencing the performance or outcome of a process: present market conditions...
- The influence of different conditions during the combustion process was investigated by altering the speed and load of the test engine.
- For the private sector employer, the ability to vary the cost base to market conditions and company performance is vital.
- In the market conditions which now prevail, you can choose your supplier.
2.2The prevailing state of the weather, ground, or sea at a particular time, especially as it affects a sporting event: the appalling conditions determined the style of play...
- In the event of unkind weather conditions, the show will be moved indoors.
- The weather conditions had grounded the air ambulance usually used for the transfer.
- Weather conditions, ground conditions, selection policies, and match fixes are too innumerable to measure or adjust for.
3A situation that must exist before something else is possible or permitted: for a member to borrow money, three conditions have to be met all personnel should comply with this policy as a condition of employment...
- The payment required by this section is taken to be a condition of every aquaculture permit.
- They then agree to allow the surviving parent to live there - which must not be a condition of the will.
- It was he who suggested that they have a child - in fact he demanded it as a condition of staying with her.
Synonyms
stipulation, constraint, prerequisite, precondition, requirement, rule, term, specification, provision, proviso, qualification;
necessity, essential, demand, restriction
verb [with object]
1Have a significant influence on or determine (the manner or outcome of something): national choices are conditioned by the international political economy...
- That effect may be conditioned on the influence of outside factors and participant attributes and may change over time.
- The gods were derived from the world of nature for the simple reason that life in Mesopotamia was controlled or conditioned by the seasons.
- And I think that is conditioned by the winter approach and by Ramadan.
Synonyms
constrain, control, govern, determine, decide;
exert influence on, affect, have an effect on, act on, work on, touch, have an impact on, impact on;
change, alter, modify, transform, form, shape, guide, sway, bias
1.1Train or accustom to behave in a certain way or to accept certain circumstances: our minds are heavily conditioned and circumscribed by habit [with object and infinitive]: they are beliefs which he has been conditioned to accept (as noun conditioning) social conditioning...
- But I would also say there is a pleasure in self-display that should be shared with those men and boys who have been conditioned into thinking that the only gratification and power is in looking.
- I had to actually ask what that meant in terms of the APR and in two cases they even had to go and look it up because they've been so conditioned into only revealing the monthly figure.
- We have become conditioned into being, behaving, reacting to any situation in a certain way, and we perpetuate this conditioning by the way we think.
Synonyms
train, teach, educate, coach, tutor, guide, groom, drill, accustom, adapt, habituate, mould, inure
2Bring (something) into the desired state for use: a product for conditioning leather...
- Redwing boots also sells products to help you condition your boots, like Boot Oil or Mink Oil.
- The cost of professionally produced and conditioned seed of agronomic crops is only two to four percent of the cost of production.
- He invented a device for putting water vapor into the air to condition yarn produced in textile plants.
Synonyms
treat, prepare, make ready, ready, prime, temper, process, acclimatize, acclimate, adapt, adjust, soften, season
2.1 (often as adjective conditioned) Make (a person or animal) fit and healthy: he was six feet two of perfectly conditioned muscle and bone...
- Bouts can take a very long time and if you're not conditioned you will struggle.
- He was previously conditioned by Ken McPeek, who saddled him to his victory in the Belmont Stakes along with his win in the 2002 Sir Barton Stakes.
- Julio Franco, 45, still is playing because he is superbly conditioned.
Synonyms
improve, make healthy, build up, nourish, tone, tone up, get something into shape
2.2 (often as adjective conditioned) Bring (beer) to maturation after fermentation while the yeast is still present: [in combination]: cask-conditioned real ales...
- Keg or brewery conditioned beer is produced so that it is ready to drink as soon as it leaves the brewery.
- It isn't ale, either, and although the bottled versions are bottle conditioned, they are much bubblier than English bottle conditioned beers.
- Her beers are traditionally brewed, mostly organic and bottle conditioned.
2.3 [no object] (Of a beer) become conditioned: brews that are allowed to condition in the bottle...
- Beers being allowed to condition naturally in the cask calls for a certain care in handling.
- Until fairly recently bottled Guinness was a real ale: the beer wasn't filtered or pasteurized but allowed to condition in the bottle.
3Apply a conditioner to (the hair): I condition my hair regularly...
- Always apply as much hair conditioning protection as possible.
- After washing and conditioning your hair, comb it from the crown to the ends and let it air-dry.
- Bigfish Shampoo is also enriched with panthenol to nourish, moisturize and condition your hair.
4Set prior requirements on (something) before it can occur or be done: Congressmen have sought to limit and condition military and economic aid...
- At the same time, Giolitti, always walking a tightrope between the conservative and progressive components of his own majority, was heavily conditioned in what he could offer.
- The new refrain is that, while the amendment does indeed protect an individual right, the exercise of this right is conditioned on the existence of and participation in a state militia.
- The discretion should be conditioned on the existence of some need to remove the ship from the Australian Territorial sea; and the Act should provide standards by which it is to be exercised.
Phrases
in (or out of) condition
in no condition to do something
on condition that
Origin
Middle English: from Old French condicion (noun), condicionner (verb), from Latin condicio(n-) 'agreement', from condicere 'agree upon', from con- 'with' + dicere 'say'.
verdict from Middle English:
After the Norman Conquest, French became the language of the law in England and many French legal terms made their way into English. Verdict came immediately from French, but goes back to Latin verus ‘true’, source also of verify (Middle English), veritable (Late Middle English), and very (Middle English), and dicere ‘to say’, from which addict (mid 16th century) originally ‘assigned by decree’ and so bound to something; condition (Middle English) speaking with, agreement; contradiction (Late Middle English) ‘speaking against’; dictate (early 17th century); predict (late 16th century) ‘speaking in advance’; and numerous other words derive.