the subjunctive
noun
grammar
: the form that a verb or sentence has when it is expressing a suggestion, wish, uncertainty, possibility, etc.
"I wish it were not so" is in the subjunctive.
Examples of the subjunctive in a Sentence
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Many of Musk’s DOGE firings, canceled grants and contracts, etc., are in the subjunctive mood, pending Congress’s awakening from its hibernation.
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George Will, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2025
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George Will, Twin Cities, 20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“The subjunctive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20subjunctive. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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