ONLY WHEN Meaning and
Definition
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"Only when" is a phrase that indicates a specific condition or circumstance under which something else can happen or be true. It suggests that a particular situation or event is a necessary prerequisite for something else to occur, and in the absence of that situation, the subsequent event or condition cannot materialize.
The phrase "only when" emphasizes a strong dependency, implying that the mentioned action, event, or condition must be present or in effect for the desired outcome to take place. It typically highlights the exclusiveness of a single circumstance that determines the possibility of something happening.
The term "only when" can be used in various contexts, such as conditional statements, rules, requirements, or restrictions. It signifies a crucial condition that must be met or fulfilled before a desired result can be achieved. It often introduces a degree of necessity, emphasizing that without the specified condition, the desired outcome remains unattainable.
For example, if one says, "I will go to the beach only when the weather is sunny," it means that the person will only visit the beach if the weather conditions meet the criterion of being sunny. In this case, the condition of sunny weather acts as an essential requirement for the person to go to the beach. Thus, the phrase "only when" highlights the conditional relationship between the weather condition and the person's decision to visit the beach.
Top Common Misspellings for ONLY WHEN *
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
Other Common Misspellings for ONLY WHEN
- inly when
- knly when
- lnly when
- pnly when
- 0nly when
- 9nly when
- obly when
- omly when
- ojly when
- ohly when
- onky when
- onpy when
- onoy when
- onlt when
- onlg when
- onlh when
- onlu when
- onl7 when
Etymology of ONLY WHEN
The word "only when" is composed of two separate words with distinct etymologies: "only" and "when".
1. Only:
The word "only" has its origins in the Old English word "anlic", which means "unique" or "unequalled". It evolved further in Middle English as "only" and retained the same meaning of being solitary, exclusive, or single. The etymology of "only" can be traced back to the Old English phrase "an" meaning "one" and the suffix "-lic" indicating "like" or "having the quality of". Over time, "only" came to signify exclusivity or limitation.
2. When:
The word "when" developed from the Old English word "hwanne" or "hwenne", which meant "at what time" or "at which time".
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