[Grammar] Condition VS Fact

[learningspirit]

Is there difference between a fact and a condition?

Let's say John has an illness. That's a condition of John. And it is also a fact.
Let's say that USA has a democratic government. That's a condition of the US. And it is also a fact.


Dictionaries seem to say that condition = fact. But my gut feeling thinks not. But I cannot quite pinpoint how a condition is different from a fact. What do native speakers think?

 

[Raymott]

To me, a brief look at dictionaries tend to say that a condition is a state. Which one says it's a fact?
If John has a certain condition (or is in a certain state), it's a fact that he is in that state, but that state is not a fact in itself.
'Cancer' is a condition. It isn't a fact. There is no truth value to the word 'cancer'. There is a truth value (of either true or false usually) to "John has cancer."
In colloquially speech, some people might say "Cancer is a fact" to mean that cancer exists, but that's not the usual meaning of 'fact'.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Let's say John has an illness. That's a condition of John. And it is also a fact.

John is in a bad condition but not in a bad fact.

Not a teacher.

 

[learningspirit]

@Raymott


Definition 1 for "circumstance" in this dictionary reads:


" a condition or fact that affects a situation "


,which suggests that a condition is equivalent to a fact. Could this dictionary definition be poorly written?

 

[Raymott]

That a circumstance is a "condition or fact" does not mean that a condition is a fact. You could use this entry as evidence that it wasn't.
Similarly, "A pet is a cat or dog ..." doesn't mean that a cat is a dog.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Similarly, 'A parent is a mother or father...' doesn't mean your mother is your father.

Not a teacher.

 

[Tdol]

Could this dictionary definition be poorly written?

I don;t think so. In fact, I think it is suggesting that they are not the same.