State vs. Condition — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Urooj Arif — Updated on March 26, 2024
State refers to a specific mode of existence or status of something, often temporary and changeable, while condition implies a more permanent or general state of health, quality, or fitness.
Difference Between State and Condition
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
State often describes a temporary and specific situation or phase something is in, like an emotional state or the state of the weather. It implies a momentary status that can easily change. On the other hand, condition tends to denote a more general and enduring state, focusing on the overall health, quality, or fitness of a person, object, or system. It can imply a longer-term perspective on the status quo.
State is also used to denote distinct configurations or statuses in systems, processes, or machinery, highlighting the operational mode or phase at a given time. Whereas condition often refers to the physical or operational quality of these entities, emphasizing their readiness or suitability for a particular function or use.
In psychology and human behavior, state can describe transient emotional or mental conditions such as happiness, sadness, or anxiety. These states are subject to change based on external circumstances or internal reflections. Condition, in this context, might refer to more chronic or enduring mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety disorders, which are not as easily altered by immediate circumstances.
In legal and political contexts, state can refer to the political entity or government of a specific territory. It denotes an organized community living under a unified political system or authority. Condition, within these realms, might instead refer to the stipulations, terms, or circumstances affecting an agreement, treaty, or legal status, underscoring the prerequisites or requirements for certain legal outcomes.
In terms of usage in scientific and technical disciplines, state is often used to describe the condition or phase of matter, such as solid, liquid, or gas, as well as the state of energy or systems in physics. It's about specific and identifiable configurations. Condition, however, might be used to discuss the quality, efficiency, or status of scientific equipment, materials, or experimental environments, focusing on their suitability for conducting research or experiments.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Refers to a specific and often temporary status or phase.
Implies a more enduring state, often concerning health, quality, or fitness.
Contexts
Used in describing emotions, weather, political entities, and phases of matter.
More commonly refers to physical health, material quality, and terms of agreements.
Changeability
Often temporary and changeable.
More permanent and stable, indicating long-term status.
Focus
Emphasizes specific modes or configurations.
Highlights overall health, quality, or readiness for use.
Examples
Emotional state, state of the economy, solid state.
Physical condition, condition of an agreement, air quality condition.
Compare with Definitions
State
A particular condition or situation at a specific time.
The state of the economy is concerning to investors.
Condition
The state of something with regard to its appearance, quality, or working order.
The condition of the used car was better than expected.
State
The physical property that distinguishes matter based on its physical and chemical structure.
Water exists in three states: solid, liquid, and gas.
Condition
A stipulation or prerequisite in an agreement.
The contract has a condition that must be met before finalization.
State
A politically organized body of people under a single government.
California is known for its diverse climate and economy among US states.
Condition
A particular mode of being of a person or thing; existing state.
The patient's condition improved after the treatment.
State
A temporary emotional or mental condition.
His state of happiness after hearing the good news was contagious.
Condition
The state of health or physical fitness.
Regular exercise improves your physical condition.
State
A specific mode of existence or operation.
The machine is in a standby state, consuming minimal power.
Condition
The circumstances or factors affecting the way in which people live or work.
The company aims to improve working conditions for its employees.
State
A condition or mode of being, as with regard to circumstances
The office was in a state of confusion.
Condition
The state of something with regard to its appearance, quality, or working order
The wiring is in good condition
The bridge is in an extremely dangerous condition
State
A condition of being in a stage or form, as of structure, growth, or development
The fetal state.
Condition
The circumstances or factors affecting the way in which people live or work, especially with regard to their well-being
Harsh working conditions
State
A mental or emotional condition
In a manic state.
Condition
A situation that must exist before something else is possible or permitted
All personnel should comply with this policy as a condition of employment
For a member to borrow money, three conditions have to be met
State
(Informal) A condition of excitement or distress
Was in a state over going to the prom.
Condition
Have a significant influence on or determine (the manner or outcome of something)
National choices are conditioned by the international political economy
State
Social position or rank.
Condition
Bring (something) into the desired state for use
A product for conditioning leather
State
(Physics) The condition of a physical system with regard to phase, form, composition, or structure
Ice is the solid state of water.
Condition
Apply a conditioner to (the hair)
I condition my hair regularly
State
Ceremony; pomp
Foreign leaders dining in state at the White House.
Condition
Set prior requirements on (something) before it can occur or be done
Congressmen have sought to limit and condition military and economic aid
State
The supreme public power within a sovereign political entity
The state intervening in the economy.
Condition
A mode or state of being
We bought a used boat in excellent condition.
State
The sphere of supreme civil power within a given polity
Matters of state.
Condition
Conditions Existing circumstances
Economic conditions have improved. The news reported the latest weather conditions.
State
A specific kind of government
The socialist state.
Condition
(Archaic) Social position; rank.
State
A body politic, especially one constituting a nation
The states of Eastern Europe.
Condition
A state of health
Has the patient's condition deteriorated?.
State
One of the more or less internally autonomous territorial and political units composing a federation under a sovereign government
The 48 contiguous states of the Union.
Condition
A state of physical fitness
Have you exercised enough to get back into condition?.
State
Of or relating to a body politic or to an internally autonomous territorial or political unit constituting a federation under one government
A monarch dealing with state matters.
The department that handles state security.
Condition
A disease or physical ailment
A heart condition.
State
Owned and operated by a state
State universities.
Condition
One that is indispensable to the appearance or occurrence of another; a prerequisite
Compatibility is a condition of a successful marriage.
State
To set forth in words; declare.
Condition
One that restricts or modifies another; a qualification
I'll make you a promise but with one condition.
State
A condition; a set of circumstances applying at any given time.
A state of being
A state of emergency
Condition
(Grammar) The dependent clause of a conditional sentence; protasis.
State
(physics) A complete description of a system, consisting of parameters that determine all properties of the system.
Condition
(Logic) A proposition on which another proposition depends; the antecedent of a conditional proposition.
State
A mess; disorder.
Absolute state
In a state
Condition
A provision making the effect of a legal instrument contingent on the occurrence of an uncertain future event.
State
(computing) The stable condition of a processor during a particular clock cycle.
In the fetch state, the address of the next instruction is placed on the address bus.
Condition
The event itself.
State
(computing) The set of all parameters relevant to a computation.
The state here includes a set containing all names seen so far.
Condition
To make dependent on a condition or conditions
Use of the cabin is conditioned on your keeping it clean.
State
(computing) The values of all parameters at some point in a computation.
A debugger can show the state of a program at any breakpoint.
Condition
To stipulate as a condition
“He only conditioned that the marriage should not take place before his return” (Jane Austen).
State
(sciences) The physical property of matter as solid, liquid, gas or plasma.
Condition
To cause to be in a certain condition; shape or influence
“Our modern conceptions of historiography [are] conditioned by Western intellectual traditions” (Carol Meyers).
State
(obsolete) Highest and stationary condition, as that of maturity between growth and decline, or as that of crisis between the increase and the abating of a disease; height; acme.
Condition
To accustom (oneself or another) to something; adapt
Had to condition herself to long hours of hard work.
Conditioned the troops to marches at high altitudes.
State
High social standing or circumstance.
Condition
To render fit for work or use
Spent weeks conditioning the old car.
State
Pomp, ceremony, or dignity.
In state
The President's body will lie in state at the Capitol.
Condition
To improve the physical fitness of (the body, for example), as through repeated sessions of strenuous physical activity.
State
Rank; condition; quality.
Condition
(Psychology) To cause (an organism) to respond in a specific manner to a previously unrelated stimulus, as in operant conditioning or classical conditioning.
State
Condition of prosperity or grandeur; wealthy or prosperous circumstances; social importance.
Condition
To treat (the air in a room, for example) by air-conditioning.
State
A chair with a canopy above it, often standing on a dais; a seat of dignity; also, the canopy itself.
Condition
To replace moisture or oils in (hair, for example) by use of a therapeutic product.
State
(obsolete) A great person, a dignitary; a lord or prince.
Condition
A logical clause or phrase that a conditional statement uses. The phrase can either be true or false.
State
(obsolete) Estate, possession.
Condition
A requirement or requisite.
Environmental protection is a condition for sustainability.
What other planets might have the right conditions for life?
The union had a dispute over sick time and other conditions of employment.
State
A polity.
Condition
(law) A clause in a contract or agreement indicating that a certain contingency may modify the principal obligation in some way.
State
Any sovereign polity; a national or city-state government.
Condition
The health status of a medical patient.
My aunt couldn’t walk up the stairs in her condition.
State
A political division of a federation retaining a notable degree of autonomy, as in the United States, Mexico, Nigeria, or India.
Condition
A certain abnormal state of health; a malady or sickness.
State
(obsolete) A form of government other than a monarchy.
Condition
The state or quality.
National reports on the condition of public education are dismal.
The condition of man can be classified as civilized or uncivilized.
State
(anthropology) A society larger than a tribe. A society large enough to form a state in the sense of a government.
Condition
A particular state of being.
Hypnosis is a peculiar condition of the nervous system.
Steps were taken to ameliorate the condition of slavery.
Security is defined as the condition of not being threatened.
Aging is a condition over which we are powerless.
State
An element of the range of the random variables that define a random process.
Condition
(obsolete) The situation of a person or persons, particularly their social and/or economic class, rank.
A man of his condition has no place to make requests.
State
The lexical aspect (aktionsart) of verbs or predicates that do not change over time.
Condition
To subject to the process of acclimation.
I became conditioned to the absence of seasons in San Diego.
State
(transitive) To declare to be a fact.
He stated that he was willing to help.
Condition
To subject to different conditions, especially as an exercise.
They were conditioning their shins in their karate class.
State
(transitive) To make known.
State your intentions.
Condition
To make dependent on a condition to be fulfilled; to make conditional on.
State
(obsolete) Stately.
Condition
(transitive) To place conditions or limitations upon.
State
The circumstances or condition of a being or thing at any given time.
State is a term nearly synonymous with "mode," but of a meaning more extensive, and is not exclusively limited to the mutable and contingent.
Declare the past and present state of things.
Keep the state of the question in your eye.
Condition
To shape the behaviour of someone to do something.
The children were conditioned to speak up if they had any disagreements.
State
Rank; condition; quality; as, the state of honor.
Thy honor, state, and seat is due to me.
Condition
(transitive) To treat (the hair) with hair conditioner.
State
Condition of prosperity or grandeur; wealthy or prosperous circumstances; social importance.
She instructed him how he should keep state, and yet with a modest sense of his misfortunes.
Can this imperious lord forget to reign,Quit all his state, descend, and serve again?
Condition
(transitive) To contract; to stipulate; to agree.
State
Appearance of grandeur or dignity; pomp.
Where least of state there most of love is shown.
Condition
(transitive) To test or assay, as silk (to ascertain the proportion of moisture it contains).
State
A chair with a canopy above it, often standing on a dais; a seat of dignity; also, the canopy itself.
His high throne, . . . under stateOf richest texture spread.
When he went to court, he used to kick away the state, and sit down by his prince cheek by jowl.
Condition
To put under conditions; to require to pass a new examination or to make up a specified study, as a condition of remaining in one's class or in college.
To condition a student who has failed in some branch of study
State
Estate; possession.
Your state, my lord, again is yours.
Condition
To impose upon an object those relations or conditions without which knowledge and thought are alleged to be impossible.
State
A person of high rank.
Condition
Mode or state of being; state or situation with regard to external circumstances or influences, or to physical or mental integrity, health, strength, etc.; predicament; rank; position, estate.
I am in my conditionA prince, Miranda; I do think, a king.
And O, what man's condition can be worseThan his whom plenty starves and blessings curse?
The new conditions of life.
State
The principal persons in a government.
The bold designPleased highly those infernal states.
Condition
Essential quality; property; attribute.
It seemed to us a condition and property of divine powers and beings to be hidden and unseen to others.
State
The bodies that constitute the legislature of a country; as, the States-general of Holland.
Condition
Temperament; disposition; character.
The condition of a saint and the complexion of a devil.
State
A form of government which is not monarchial, as a republic.
Well monarchies may own religion's name,But states are atheists in their very fame.
Condition
That which must exist as the occasion or concomitant of something else; that which is requisite in order that something else should take effect; an essential qualification; stipulation; terms specified.
I had as lief take her dowry with this condition, to be whipped at the high cross every morning.
Many are apt to believe remission of sins, but they believe it without the condition of repentance.
State
A political body, or body politic; the whole body of people who are united under one government, whatever may be the form of the government; a nation.
Municipal law is a rule of conduct prescribed by the supreme power in a state.
The Puritans in the reign of Mary, driven from their homes, sought an asylum in Geneva, where they found a state without a king, and a church without a bishop.
Condition
A clause in a contract, or agreement, which has for its object to suspend, to defeat, or in some way to modify, the principal obligation; or, in case of a will, to suspend, revoke, or modify a devise or bequest. It is also the case of a future uncertain event, which may or may not happen, and on the occurrence or non-occurrence of which, the accomplishment, recission, or modification of an obligation or testamentary disposition is made to depend.
State
In the United States, one of the commonwealths, or bodies politic, the people of which make up the body of the nation, and which, under the national constitution, stand in certain specified relations with the national government, and are invested, as commonwealths, with full power in their several spheres over all matters not expressly inhibited.
Condition
To make terms; to stipulate.
Pay me back my credit,And I'll condition with ye.
State
Highest and stationary condition, as that of maturity between growth and decline, or as that of crisis between the increase and the abating of a disease; height; acme.
I do not, brother,Infer as if I thought my sister's stateSecure without all doubt or controversy.
We hoped to enjoy with ease what, in our situation, might be called the luxuries of life.
And, O, what man's condition can be worseThan his whom plenty starves and blessings curse?
Condition
To impose upon an object those relations or conditions without which knowledge and thought are alleged to be impossible.
To think of a thing is to condition.
State
A statement; also, a document containing a statement.
Condition
To invest with, or limit by, conditions; to burden or qualify by a condition; to impose or be imposed as the condition of.
Seas, that daily gain upon the shore,Have ebb and flow conditioning their march.
State
Stately.
Condition
To contract; to stipulate; to agree.
It was conditioned between Saturn and Titan, that Saturn should put to death all his male children.
State
Belonging to the state, or body politic; public.
Condition
To put under conditions; to require to pass a new examination or to make up a specified study, as a condition of remaining in one's class or in college; as, to condition a student who has failed in some branch of study.
State
To set; to settle; to establish.
I myself, though meanest stated,And in court now almost hated.
Who calls the council, states the certain day.
Condition
To test or assay, as silk (to ascertain the proportion of moisture it contains).
State
To express the particulars of; to set down in detail or in gross; to represent fully in words; to narrate; to recite; as, to state the facts of a case, one's opinion, etc.
Condition
Train; acclimate.
State
The group of people comprising the government of a sovereign state;
The state has lowered its income tax
Condition
A state at a particular time;
A condition (or state) of disrepair
The current status of the arms negotiations
State
The territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation;
His state is in the deep south
Condition
A mode of being or form of existence of a person or thing;
The human condition
State
A politically organized body of people under a single government;
The state has elected a new president
African nations
Students who had come to the nation's capitol
The country's largest manufacturer
An industrialized land
Condition
An assumption on which rests the validity or effect of something else
State
The way something is with respect to its main attributes;
The current state of knowledge
His state of health
In a weak financial state
Condition
(usually plural) a statement of what is required as part of an agreement;
The contract set out the conditions of the lease
The terms of the treaty were generous
State
The federal department in the UnitedStates that sets and maintains foreign policies;
The Department of State was created in 1789
Condition
The state of (good) health (especially in the phrases `in condition' or `in shape' or `out of condition' or `out of shape')
State
The territory occupied by a nation;
He returned to the land of his birth
He visited several European countries
Condition
Information that should be kept in mind when making a decision;
Another consideration is the time it would take
State
A state of depression or agitation;
He was in such a state you just couldn't reason with him
Condition
The procedure that is varied in order to estimate a variable's effect by comparison with a control condition
State
(chemistry) the three traditional states of matter are solids (fixed shape and volume) and liquids (fixed volume and shaped by the container) and gases (filling the container);
The solid state of water is called ice
Condition
Establish a conditioned response
State
Express in words;
He said that he wanted to marry her
Tell me what is bothering you
State your opinion
State your name
Condition
Train by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control;
Parents must discipline their children
Is this dog trained?
State
Put before;
I submit to you that the accused is guilty
Condition
Specify as a condition or requirement in a contract or agreement; make an express demand or provision in an agreement;
The will stipulates that she can live in the house for the rest of her life
The contract stipulates the dates of the payments
State
Indicate through a symbol, formula, etc.;
Can you express this distance in kilometers?
Condition
Put into a better state;
He conditions old cars
Condition
Apply conditioner to in order to make smooth and shiny;
I condition my hair after washing it
Common Curiosities
What is the difference between state and condition?
State typically refers to a temporary and specific situation, while condition suggests a more permanent and general state, often concerning health or quality.
Can state and condition be used interchangeably?
While sometimes used interchangeably, they usually emphasize different aspects; state is more about a specific momentary status, and condition refers to a more enduring quality or health.
How do mental health professionals differentiate between state and condition?
Mental health professionals might use "state" to describe temporary emotional or mental statuses and "condition" for more chronic or enduring mental health issues.
How does state differ in legal contexts compared to condition?
In legal contexts, state often refers to a political entity or government, while condition might refer to terms or prerequisites affecting agreements or statuses.
What does it mean when someone refers to a 'solid state'?
It refers to the physical state of matter being solid, as opposed to liquid or gas, emphasizing a specific configuration of matter.
Is the condition of a machine similar to its state?
Condition usually refers to the machine's overall working order or quality, while state might describe its current operating mode or configuration.
Do physical conditions always refer to health?
While often referring to health, physical conditions can also describe the general state or quality of objects or environments.
Can the condition of an agreement change?
The terms or stipulations (conditions) of an agreement are generally fixed upon signing, though amendments can alter them.
How does the concept of state apply in physics?
In physics, state can describe conditions or phases of matter and energy, focusing on specific configurations.
Is a mental state always a reflection of a mental condition?
A mental state can be a temporary experience, not necessarily reflecting a long-term mental condition.
Can environmental conditions affect the state of an object?
Yes, environmental conditions like humidity or temperature can change the state or condition of objects.
How do conditions in contracts affect business operations?
Conditions in contracts set terms that can affect how businesses operate, outlining obligations and requirements for parties involved.
Can a political state's condition change?
Yes, the condition or status of a political state can change due to economic, social, or political factors.
What role does condition play in sports?
In sports, condition often refers to an athlete's physical fitness and readiness to perform.
How do warranties relate to the condition of a product?
Warranties often guarantee the condition of a product, ensuring it meets certain quality and functioning standards.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
