counterfactual
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
EEA studies compare an event's characteristics, such as its probability and intensity in the current climate, to a "counterfactual" world without human-caused emissions.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
Historians sometimes play the counterfactual game of wondering what would have happened if a major event had turned out differently.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
That effacement tries to create a counterfactual absurdity.
From Salon ● Mar. 9, 2025
We can't be certain because the results depend heavily on the method chosen by researchers for measuring the "counterfactual", i.e what would have happened to UK exports had the country stayed in the EU.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2025
A counterfactual flood results here from a shift in the precipitation field by 50 kilometres towards the north-east.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 27, 2024
