if

[[t]ɪf[/t]]

conj.

1) fun in case that; granting or supposing that; on condition that:

If I were you, I wouldn't worry. I'll go if you do[/ex]

2) fun even though:

an enthusiastic if small audience[/ex]

3) fun whether:

She asked if I knew Spanish[/ex]

4) fun (used to introduce an exclamatory phrase):

If only Dad could see me now![/ex]

5) fun that:

I'm sorry if you don't agree[/ex]

6) a supposition; uncertain possibility

7) a condition or stipulation:

There are too many ifs in his agreement[/ex]

•

- ifs, ands, or buts

Etymology: bef. 900; ME, var. of yif, OE gif, gef usage: if meaning “whether,” as in I haven't decided if I'll go, is sometimes criticized, but the usage has been standard in English for a long time and is found in Shakespeare, Dryden, and the King James Bible.