Sekirov Dictionary

what-if

noun 2
verb 1
what if adverb 3
forms 3

noun2

•
(informal) A speculation as to what might have happened if something else had happened earlier.
- Each man was running over the what ifs in his mind. — 2005
(informal) A hypothetical case or situation, usually evoked by a sense of anxiety or uncertainty.

verb1

(informal) To speculate about the consequences of something that could have happened.

what if adverb3

•
Used to introduce a speculation about a future event.
- What if we could learn to get along? What would happen then?
•
Used to introduce a speculation about a past event. Often the basis for counterfactual historical interpretations.
- What if Abraham Lincoln had not been assassinated? How might the Reconstruction of the Southern States have been handled?
•
Used to introduce a suggestion or proposal for a future event.
- What if we arrange it for 9:00 instead of 10:00?

forms

what-iffed · what-iffing · what-ifs

This dictionary works without the internet: on your phone · in Chrome