subjunctive
1 of 2adjective
sub·junc·tive səb-ˈjən(k)-tiv 
: of, relating to, or constituting a verb form or set of verb forms that represents a denoted act or state not as fact but as contingent or possible or viewed emotionally (as with doubt or desire)
the subjunctive mood
subjunctive
2 of 2noun
1
: the subjunctive mood of a language
2
: a form of verb or verbal in the subjunctive mood
Example Sentences
Adjective In “I wish it were Friday,” the verb “were” is in the subjunctive mood. Noun “I wish it were not so” is in the subjunctive. Subjunctives can be used to express doubt.
Recent Examples on the Web
WSJ, 10 July 2022 Otherwise, subjunctive verb forms are indistinguishable from indicative ones. Melissa Mohr, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2020 This gave Ryan Coogler free rein to create a country in the subjunctive mode: what if…? The New York Review of Books, 2 Mar. 2019 The author has to sneak away from his seat to consult Reagan letters, diaries and biographies to fortify what is essentially a subjunctive enterprise. Thomas Mallon, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2018 New York Times, 11 Jan. 2022 These new thoughts flooded in, leaving little room for concerns about Othello’s motivation or the subjunctive in French. New York Times, 13 May 2021 But the phrase is often used with the subjunctive, that word or phrase that indicates doubt: one mistake should not define me. Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2021 Fewer and fewer speakers are as meticulous about the subjunctive as Beyoncé. Melissa Mohr, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2020 The dreaded subjunctive indicates that something is not being asserted as true and this turns out to be difficult to learn when that is not an important distinction in your own language. Michelle Sheehan, Quartz, 3 July 2019 Batuman writes; Nina’s reality remains untroubled by conditionals and subjunctives. Katy Waldman, Slate Magazine, 20 Mar. 2017 To avoid the complicated subjunctive, which expresses wishes and hopes. Diana Spechler, Longreads, 28 Oct. 2017 See More
Adjective
Clearly, the headline calls for the subjunctive mood: If Putin Were a Woman. WSJ, 10 July 2022 Otherwise, subjunctive verb forms are indistinguishable from indicative ones. Melissa Mohr, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2020 This gave Ryan Coogler free rein to create a country in the subjunctive mode: what if…? The New York Review of Books, 2 Mar. 2019 The author has to sneak away from his seat to consult Reagan letters, diaries and biographies to fortify what is essentially a subjunctive enterprise. Thomas Mallon, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2018 Noun
The body cannot live in the subjunctive, unfortunately. New York Times, 11 Jan. 2022 These new thoughts flooded in, leaving little room for concerns about Othello’s motivation or the subjunctive in French. New York Times, 13 May 2021 But the phrase is often used with the subjunctive, that word or phrase that indicates doubt: one mistake should not define me. Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2021 Fewer and fewer speakers are as meticulous about the subjunctive as Beyoncé. Melissa Mohr, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2020 The dreaded subjunctive indicates that something is not being asserted as true and this turns out to be difficult to learn when that is not an important distinction in your own language. Michelle Sheehan, Quartz, 3 July 2019 Batuman writes; Nina’s reality remains untroubled by conditionals and subjunctives. Katy Waldman, Slate Magazine, 20 Mar. 2017 To avoid the complicated subjunctive, which expresses wishes and hopes. Diana Spechler, Longreads, 28 Oct. 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Late Latin subjunctivus, from Latin subjunctus, past participle of subjungere to join beneath, subordinate
First Known Use
Adjective
circa 1504, in the meaning defined above
Noun
1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1