1. Contrary to the facts; describing a situation that did not actually happen or is not true.
Usage: Common in logic, philosophy, and everyday reasoning

1. A statement or proposition that describes a situation contrary to what actually happened; a hypothetical scenario used in reasoning or analysis.
Usage: Often used in philosophy, logic, and scientific thought experiments

Examples

• The statement 'If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam' is counterfactual because it describes something that did not happen.
• Historians sometimes use counterfactual reasoning to explore what might have happened if key events had unfolded differently.
• A counterfactual conditional is a type of sentence that expresses an imaginary or impossible situation.
• The experiment relied on counterfactual thinking to predict outcomes in alternative scenarios.
• Her argument was based on counterfactual assumptions rather than actual evidence.
• Scientists use counterfactuals to test theories and understand cause-and-effect relationships.