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counterfactual

 - 2 dictionary results

coun⋅ter⋅fac⋅tu⋅al

[koun-ter-fak-choo-uhl]
–noun Logic.
a conditional statement the first clause of which expresses something contrary to fact, as “If I had known.”

Origin:
1945–50; counter- + factual


coun⋅ter⋅fact, noun
coun⋅ter⋅fac⋅tu⋅al⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To counterfactual
coun·ter·fac·tu·al   (koun'tər-fāk'chōō-əl)   
adj.  Running contrary to the facts: "Cold war historiography vividly illustrates how the selection of the counterfactual question to be asked generally anticipates the desired answer" (Timothy Garton Ash).
coun'ter·fac'tu·al n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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