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Characterized by, or of the nature of, an hypothesis; conditional; assumed without proof, for the purpose of reasoning and deducing proof, or of accounting for some fact or phenomenon. Causes hypothetical at least, if not real, for the various phenomena of the existence of which our experience informs us. Sir W. Hamilt…

Rendering null and void; conditionally invalidating. The states elected Harry, Duke of Anjou, for their king, with this clause irritant; that, if he did violate any part of his oath, the people should owe him no allegiance. Hayward.

ate concerns; not public or general; as, personal comfort; personal desire. The words are conditional, -- If thou doest well, -- and so personal to Cain. Locke.

The introductory or subordinate member of a sentence, generally of a conditional sentence; -- opposed to apodosis. See Apodosis.

writing, by which a condition is introduced, usually beginning with the word provided; a conditional stipulation that affects an agreement, contract, law, grant, or the like; as, the contract was impaired by its proviso. He doth deny his prisoners, But with proviso and exception. Shak.

In a provisory manner; conditionally; subject to a proviso; as, to admit a doctrine provisorily. Sir W. Hamilton.

Of the nature of a proviso; containing a proviso or condition; conditional; as, a provisory clause.

phrases as "You say, or think, you shall go;" "He says, or thinks, he shall go." After a conditional conjunction (as if, whether) shall is used in all persons to express futurity simply; as, if I, you, or he shall say they are right. Should is everywhere used in the same connection and the same senses as shall, as its…

Used as an auxiliary verb, to express a conditional or contingent act or state, or as a supposition of an actual fact; also, to express moral obligation (see Shall); e. g.: they should have come last week; if I should go; I should think you could go. "You have done that you should be sorry for." Shak.…

A conditional withholding, interruption, or delay; as, the suspension of a payment on the performance of a condition.

(something evil or unpleasant) as approaching; to indicate as impending; to announce the conditional infliction of; as, to threaten war; to threaten death. Milton. The skies look grimly And threaten present blusters. Shak.

A syllogism with three conditional propositions, the major premises of which are disjunctively affirmed in the minor. See Dilemma.

Not conditioned or subject to conditions; unconditional.

Peremptory; unconditional; unqualified; final; as, an utter refusal or denial. Clarendon. Utter bar (Law), the whole body of junior barristers. See Outer bar, under 1st Outer. [Eng.] -- Utter barrister (Law), one recently admitted as barrister, who is accustomed to plead without, or outside, the bar, as distinguished f…

God, or to some deity; an act by which one consecrates or devotes himself, absolutely or conditionally, wholly or in part, for a longer or shorter time, to some act, service, or condition; a devotion of one's possessions; as, a baptismal vow; a vow of poverty. "Nothing . . . that may . . . stain my vow of Nazarite." M…

on.), the aggregate capital existing at any time in any country, which theoretically is unconditionally destined to be paid out in wages. It was formerly held, by Mill and other political economists, that the average rate of wages in any country at any time depended upon the relation of the wages fund to the number of…

of a conjunction to introduce a dependent adverbial sentence or clause, having a causal, conditional, or adversative relation to the principal proposition; as, he chose to turn highwayman when he might have continued an honest man; he removed the tree when it was the best in the grounds.

Commonly used as an auxiliary verb, either in the past tense or in the conditional or optative present. See 2d & 3d Will.