View synonyms for what-if

what-if

[ hwuht-if, hwot‑, wuht‑, wot‑ ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

hypothetical:
a what-if scenario.

noun

a hypothetical case or situation; conjecture:
a series of what-ifs.

what-if

noun

informal.
a hypothetical question; speculation
one of the great what-ifs of modern history

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Word History and Origins

Origin of what-if¹

First recorded in 1980–85

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Idioms and Phrases

Suppose that, as in What if the speaker doesn't get here in time? This expression is in effect a shortening of “what would happen if.” It was first recorded about 1420.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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