if

conjunction (IN THAT SITUATION)

/ɪf/

Definition

A2 used to say that a particular thing can or will happen only after something else happens or becomes true: I'll pay you double if you get the work finished by Friday. We'll have the party in the garden if the weather's good. If not (= if the weather is not good), it'll have to be inside. If anyone rings for me, please tell them I'll be back in the office at four o'clock. If she hadn't called, I wouldn't have known. I wouldn't work for them (even) if they paid me twice my current salary. We'll deal with that problem if and when it arises. If disturbed, the bird may abandon the nest, leaving the chicks to die.Connecting words which express a condition › although: She's a lovely woman, even if she can be a bit tiring at times.literary It was a hot, if windy day.Connecting words which express a contrast B1 every time: If water is heated to 100°C it turns to steam. If I don't get enough sleep I get a headache.Connecting words which express a condition › used to mean 'if it is true that': I'm very sorry if I've offended you.Connecting words which express a condition

(Definition of if conjunction (IN THAT SITUATION) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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