counterfactual
[ koun-ter-fak-choo-uh l ]
/ ˌkaʊn tərˈfæk tʃu əl /
noun Logic.
a conditional statement the first clause of which expresses something contrary to fact, as “If I had known.”
OTHER WORDS FROM counterfactual
coun·ter·fact, noun coun·ter·fac·tu·al·ly, adverbWords nearby counterfactual
counterearth,
countereconomy,
counterespionage,
counterexample,
counterextension,
counterfactual,
counterfeit,
counterfoil,
counterforce,
counterfort,
counterglow
British Dictionary definitions for counter-fact
counterfactual
/ (ˌkauntəˈfæktʃʊəl) logic /
adjective
expressing what has not happened but could, would, or might under differing conditions
noun
a conditional statement in which the first clause is a past tense subjunctive statement expressing something contrary to fact, as in
if she had hurried she would have caught the bus