second conditional

noun

A structure used to convey about improbable or impossible events in the present or future, containing an if clause (with a verb in the simple past) and a main clause (with would + an infinite verb).

“"If I had a billion dollars, I would buy a medieval castle" involves a second conditional.”

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Meanings

nounsecond conditional (plural second conditionals)

plural second conditionals

  1. grammarA structure used to convey about improbable or impossible events in the present or future, containing an if clause (with a verb in the simple past) and a main clause (with would + an infinite verb).

    "If I had a billion dollars, I would buy a medieval castle" involves a second conditional.

Cite this entry
APA

second conditional. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/second%20conditional

MLA

“second conditional.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/second%20conditional. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “second conditional,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/second%20conditional.

Source: second conditional on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.