Condition (noun) — the state or quality that something or someone is in: "The car is in excellent condition for its age."
Condition (noun) — a requirement that must be met before something else can happen: "She agreed on one condition."
Condition (verb) — to train or influence behaviour through repeated experience: "Advertising conditions us to associate brands with positive emotions."
What Does Condition Mean?
Condition entered English in the 14th century from Old French condicion and Latin condicio, meaning an agreement, stipulation, or state of affairs. The Latin root comes from condicere — literally "to speak together" — reflecting the original sense of a mutually agreed term or requirement. Over time, the word broadened to cover any state or circumstance, and later gained the verbal sense of shaping behaviour.
Today condition is one of the most versatile words in English. As a noun it can describe physical quality ("the road surface is in poor condition"), a medical situation ("a heart condition"), contractual requirements ("terms and conditions"), or environmental circumstances ("driving conditions"). As a verb it appears in psychology, sports science, and everyday speech whenever we talk about trained responses or prepared states.
Understanding all three uses — state, requirement, and trained response — is essential for reading authentic English in journalism, business, healthcare, and academic contexts.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level & note |
|---|---|
| The car is in excellent condition for its age. | A2 — noun: physical state |
| You can borrow the bike on one condition — bring it back by six. | B1 — noun: requirement |
| Working conditions in the factory improved after the new manager arrived. | B1 — noun plural: circumstances |
| The loan was approved on condition that the applicant provided proof of income. | B2 — noun: formal conditional clause |
| Years of competitive sport had conditioned her to perform under extreme pressure. | C1 — verb: trained response |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| good / excellent condition | The laptop is in good condition despite being five years old. |
| poor / bad condition | The roads were in poor condition after the heavy rain. |
| medical condition | She manages her medical condition with daily medication. |
| weather conditions | The match was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. |
| living conditions | Charities are working to improve living conditions in the region. |
| working conditions | The union negotiated better working conditions for all staff. |
| terms and conditions | Always read the terms and conditions before signing a contract. |
| on condition that | He was released on condition that he reported to the police weekly. |
| out of condition | After six weeks off, the team was visibly out of condition. |
| pre-existing condition | The insurance policy did not cover pre-existing conditions. |
Usage Notes
- Noun — state: Use condition (singular, uncountable) when describing the overall state of something: "in good condition", "out of condition". Add an adjective before it to specify quality: excellent, perfect, poor, terrible.
- Noun — circumstances: Use the plural conditions when referring to surrounding factors or environment: "weather conditions", "economic conditions", "growing conditions". The plural signals multiple contributing factors rather than a single state.
- Noun — requirement: The phrase on condition that introduces a clause and functions like provided that or as long as. It is slightly more formal than if.
- Verb — conditioning: To condition implies a gradual, often repeated process. It is commonly used in passive constructions: "We are conditioned to respond in certain ways." It is not the same as to train in sport, though the two overlap.
- Register: Condition spans all registers — casual ("the car's in great condition"), professional ("subject to the following conditions"), and academic ("conditioned behaviour"). Choose your collocation to match the register.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
The furniture was in a good conditions.
The furniture was in good condition. (uncountable when describing overall state — no article, no plural)
I will help you in condition that you help me back.
I will help you on condition that you help me back. (the correct preposition is on, not in)
She was conditioned by her coach every morning.
She was trained by her coach every morning. (conditioned implies shaping deep-seated responses; for routine sports training, use trained)