- 1 [uncountable, singular] the state that something is in to be in bad/good/excellent condition a used car in perfect condition The house is in a generally poor condition. Which Word?condition / stateThe following adjectives are frequently used with these nouns: good/excellent/physical/poor/human/perfect/no/better condition present/current/mental/solid/no/emotional/physical/natural state State is a more general word than condition and is used for the condition that something is in at a particular time. It can be used without an adjective:the present state of medical knowledge We’re worried about his mental state. What a state this room is in (= very bad). Condition is used with an adjective and refers especially to the appearance, quality or working order of somebody or something:The car is in excellent condition. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveexcellent, good, immaculate, … verb + conditionassess, evaluate prepositionin… condition See full entry See related entries: Online shopping medical
- 2 [uncountable, singular] the state of somebody’s health or how fit they are He is overweight and out of condition (= not physically fit). You are in no condition (= too ill/sick, etc.) to go anywhere. The motorcyclist was in a critical condition in hospital last night. (informal) She shouldn’t be driving in her condition(= because she is pregnant). Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivecritical, serious, stable, … condition + verbget better, improve, deteriorate, … verb + conditionassess, monitor prepositionin a… condition, in… condition, out of condition, … phrasesbe in no condition to do something See full entry See related entries: Being ill
- 3 [countable] an illness or a medical problem that you have for a long time because it is not possible to cure it a medical condition He suffers from a serious heart condition. Wordfinderhealthacute, condition, health, medicine, outbreak, pain, recover, relapse, terminal, treatment Synonymsdiseaseillness disorder infection condition ailment bugThese are all words for a medical problem.disease a medical problem affecting humans, animals or plants, often caused by infection:He suffers from a rare blood disease.illness a medical problem, or a period of suffering from one:She died after a long illness.disease or illness?Disease is used to talk about more severe physical medical problems, especially those that affect the organs. Illness is used to talk about both more severe and more minor medical problems, and those that affect mental health:heart/kidney/liver illness mental disease. Disease is not used about a period of illness:She died after a long disease.disorder (rather formal) an illness that causes a part of the body to stop functioning correctly:a rare disorder of the liver. A disorder is generally not infectious. Disorder is used most frequently with words relating to mental problems, for example psychiatric, personality, mental and eating. When it is used to talk about physical problems, it is most often used with blood, bowel and kidney, and these are commonly serious, severe or rare.infection an illness that is caused by bacteria or a virus and that affects one part of the body:a throat infectioncondition a medical problem that you have for a long time because it is not possible to cure it:a heart conditionailment (rather formal) an illness that is not very serious:childhood ailmentsbug (informal) an infectious illness that is usually fairly mild:a nasty flu bugPatterns to have/suffer from a(n) disease/illness/disorder/infection/condition/ailment/bug to catch/contract/get/pick up a(n) disease/illness/infection/bug Wordfinderconditionanorexia, autism, bipolar disorder, condition, dementia, depression, mentally, paranoia, psychosis, schizophrenia Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivemedical, life-threatening, serious, … verb + conditionhave, suffer from, be born with, … See full entry circumstances
- 4 conditions [plural] the circumstances or situation in which people live, work or do things living/housing/working conditions changing economic conditions neglected children living under the most appalling conditions a strike to improve pay and conditions Synonymssituationcircumstances position conditions things the case state of affairsThese are all words for the conditions and facts that are connected with and affect the way things are.situation all the things that are happening at a particular time and in a particular place:the present economic situationcircumstances the facts that are connected with and affect a situation, an event or an action; the conditions of a person’s life, especially the money they have:The ship sank in mysterious circumstances.position the situation that somebody is in, especially when it affects what they can and cannot do:She felt she was in a position of power.conditions the circumstances in which people live, work or do things; the physical situation that affects how something happens:We were forced to work outside in freezing conditions.circumstances or conditions?Circumstances refers to somebody’s financial situation; conditions are things such as the quality and amount of food or shelter they have. The circumstances that affect an event are the facts surrounding it; the conditions that affect it are usually physical ones, such as the weather.things (rather informal) the general situation, as it affects somebody:Hi, Jane! How are things? Think things over before you decide.the case the true situation:If that is the case (= if the situation described is true), we need more staff.state of affairs a situation:How did this unhappy state of affairs come about?situation or state of affairs? State of affairs is mostly used with this. It is also used with adjectives describing how good or bad a situation is, such as happy, sorry, shocking, sad and unhappy, as well as those relating to time, such as present and current. Situation is much more frequent and is used in a wider variety of contexts.Patterns in (a) particular situation/circumstances/position/state of affairs the/somebody’s economic/financial/social situation/circumstances/position/conditions (a/an) happy/unhappy situation/circumstances/position/state of affairs to look at/review the situation/circumstances/conditions/things Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivefavourable/favorable, good, ideal, … verb + conditionslive in, work in, work under, … conditions + verbexist, persist, prevail, … prepositionin condition, under condition See full entry See related entries: Pay and conditions at work
- 5 conditions [plural] the physical situation that affects how something happens The plants grow best in cool, damp conditions. freezing/icy/humid, etc. conditions Conditions are ideal (= the weather is very good) for sailing today. treacherous driving conditions Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivefavourable/favorable, good, ideal, … verb + conditionslive in, work in, work under, … conditions + verbexist, persist, prevail, … prepositionin condition, under condition See full entry See related entries: Experiments and research rule
- 6 [countable] a rule or decision that you must agree to, sometimes forming part of a contract or an official agreement the terms and conditions of employment The offer is subject to certain conditions. They agreed to lend us the car on condition that (= only if) we returned it before the weekend. They will give us the money on one condition—that we pay it back within six months. (especially North American English) They agreed under the condition that the matter be dealt with promptly. Congress can impose strict conditions on the bank. They have agreed to the ceasefire provided their conditions are met. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivestrict, special verb + conditionattach, impose, lay down, … condition + verbapply prepositionon condition that, on… condition, under… condition, … phrasesa breach of a condition, conditions of employment, sale, etc., terms and conditions, … See full entry necessary situation
- 7 [countable] a situation that must exist in order for something else to happen a necessary condition for economic growth A good training programme is one of the conditions for successful industry. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivenecessary, sufficient verb + conditioncreate prepositioncondition for See full entry state of group
- 8[singular] (formal) the state of a particular group of people because of their situation in life, their problems, etc. He spoke angrily about the condition of the urban poor. Work is basic to the human condition (= the fact of being alive). Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivehuman verb + conditionimprove See full entry Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French condicion (noun), condicionner (verb), from Latin condicio(n-) ‘agreement’, from condicere ‘agree upon’, from con- ‘with’ + dicere ‘say’.Extra examples All three babies were born with an incurable heart condition. An enormous number of people live in conditions of poverty. Animals adapt to changing environmental conditions. As long as these weather conditions prevail, we are unable to rescue the climbers. Conditions are ideal for starting a business. Doctors say his condition is now stable. Doctors used to regard pregnancy as a pathological condition. He denied being in breach of bail conditions. He has a rare skin condition. He is still in (a) critical condition in the hospital. I haven’t been exercising much recently, so I’m a bit out of condition. I’ll agree to the plan on one condition: my name doesn’t get mentioned to the press. In his weakened condition, it took a long time for the wound to heal. Paint shades can vary under different lighting conditions. She was unable to give informed consent because of a mental condition. Special conditions apply to the use of the library’s rare books. The UN has imposed strict conditions on the ceasefire. The bar was licensed subject to the condition that no children be admitted. The car is still in excellent condition. The chamber simulates conditions found at high altitudes. The clock was restored to its original condition. The drug is used to treat conditions such as epilepsy. The experiment is conducted under strictly controlled conditions. The insurance will not cover you for a pre-existing condition. The samples are heated under experimental conditions. The working conditions in the factory are dreadful. There has been a marked deterioration in her mental condition. They agreed to lend us the car on condition that we returned it before the weekend. They would not agree to our conditions. To get a basic pension you must satisfy two conditions… Under the conditions of the agreement, all foreign troops will leave by May. Warm, wet weather can create ideal conditions for plant diseases. We are aiming to improve the condition of the urban poor. We are working to create the conditions for peace. Without this treatment, her condition won’t improve. Work is basic to the human condition. You’re in no condition to tackle the stairs. a necessary and sufficient condition for the eradication of unemployment a young athlete in peak condition adverse conditions for driving an effort to improve working conditions at the plant freak weather conditions in normal flight operating conditions people working under stressful conditions plants that can survive dry conditions the conditions attached to the grant of a residential licence the terms and conditions of the contract Does your child have any kind of medical condition that we should know about? He suffers from a serious heart condition. Her condition is said to be stable. I didn’t like to think about the condition of my finances. She shouldn’t be drinking so much in her condition. Stable political leadership is a necessary condition for economic growth. The car was in perfect condition. The cyclist was in a critical condition in hospital last night. The furniture was not in a particularly good condition. The offer is subject to certain conditions The poor condition of our schools should be of concern to all of us. They have agreed to a ceasefire provided their conditions are met. We sell first editions of rare books in mint condition. What kind of condition is the washing machine in? You are in no condition to go anywhere.Idioms
noun jump to other results
BrE BrE//kənˈdɪʃn//; NAmE NAmE//kənˈdɪʃn//
Pay and conditions at work, Online shopping, Experiments and research, Being illnew or as good as new; in perfect condition
(formal) not in any situation; never You must on no condition tell them what happened.
Check pronunciation: condition
