Conditions refers to the circumstances or requirements that accompany a situation, constraint, or event. It can describe medical states, agreements or terms, or the prerequisites needed for something to occur. The plural form often appears in phrases like “living conditions” or “under certain conditions.”
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- US: clearer /ɪ/ in the stressed syllable; keep /r/ non-rhoticity minimal unless followed by a vowel in connected speech; maintain a forward tongue position for /ɪ/. IPA: /kənˈdɪʃənz/. - UK: crisper /ɪ/ with less vowel reduction in unstressed syllables; pronounce final /z/ with less rounding; non-rhotic: /ˈdɪʃənz/ with weaker r-coloring. - AU: relatively flattened vowels; link /ʃən/ as a single smooth unit; final /z/ voice kept but may sound softer; IPA same as US/UK for the word in many dialects.
"The success of the experiment depended on strict environmental conditions."
"Her living conditions improved after moving to a safer neighborhood."
"They set the loan with several repayment conditions."
"Under windy conditions, the kite stayed airborne for longer than expected."
Conditions comes from the Latin word condicio, meaning ‘agreement, stipulation, or arrangement,’ formed from con- ‘together’ + dicere ‘to say’ and later adapted into Old French as condition. The sense shifted from a speaking agreement or stipulation to the broader meaning of necessities or states under which something occurs. In English, condition appeared in the 14th century with senses relating to stipulations in agreements and to states of health or affairs. By the 17th–18th centuries, the term broadened to refer to circumstances that surround something (e.g., physical or environmental conditions) and to medical/functional states (“in poor condition”). The plural form conditions emerged to indicate multiple stipulations or multiple surrounding states. Over time, idiomatic uses such as “under conditions” and “living conditions” became common, and in technical language it also acquired senses like conditional clauses in grammar and conditional states in science. First known uses appear in legal or treaty contexts in medieval Latin and Old French texts, with evolving adoption into English legal, medical, and scientific vocabularies by the Early Modern period.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "conditions" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "conditions"
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Pronounced /kənˈdɪʃənz/ (US/UK similarly). The primary stress sits on the second syllable: con-DI-tions. Start with a reduced /kən/ like “cun,” then /ˈdɪ/ as in “did,” followed by /ʃən/ as in “shun,” and end with /z/ as in “zoo.” Quick tip: blend the /dɪ/ with the /ʃ/ to avoid an abrupt boundary, and keep the final /z/ voicing for smooth continuation into next word.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (con-DI-tions vs. CON-dish-ens) and mispronouncing the /d/ or /ʃ/ sequences as /t/ or /s/ respectively. Another frequent slip is a syllabic breakdown that isolates the middle vowel, producing a choppy flow. Correction: emphasize the /ˈdɪ/ in the second syllable and keep the /ʃ/ blend intact before the unstressed /ənz/. Practice blending: /kən/ + /ˈdɪ/ + /ʃənz/, avoiding extra syllable pauses.
US, UK, and AU versions share /kənˈdɪʃənz/ but there are subtle shifts: US often reduces vowels in unstressed syllables more aggressively; UK may retain a slightly crisper /ɪ/ in the stressed vowel and a less rhotic /r/ influence; AU tends to smooth the vowels and maintain non-rhoticity, with a tendency to slightly longer vowels in the stressed /ɪ/. Overall, the primary stress remains on the second syllable in all three, with minor vowel quality differences.
Two main challenges: the consonant cluster between the stressed vowel and ending (/dʒənz/ becomes /dɪʃənz/ for non-native speakers) and maintaining the fluid link between syllables to avoid a clipped feel. The sequence /ˈdɪʃ/ requires careful tongue retraction and a smooth transition from /d/ to /tʃ/. Additionally, keeping the final /z/ voice without devoicing in rapid speech demands controlled voicing.]
Yes. The spelling 'itions' corresponds to the /ɪʃənz/ pronunciation, which is not obvious from spelling because /ʃ/ follows the /d/ sound across syllable boundary, making a natural coarticulatory blend. The plural ending -s is voiced /z/ after a voiced alveolar /n/, not the unvoiced /s/. This pattern—consonant blend across syllable boundary and voiced plural ending—drives common mispronunciations in hurried speech.
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