subjunctive

/səbˈdʒʌŋ(k)tɪv/

/səbˈdʒʌŋktɪv/

Other forms: subjunctives; subjunctively

The subjunctive is a verb mood that expresses a possibility and is often used for wished, desired, or possible (but not definite) states of being. Subjunctive phrases often begin with the words, "If I were..."

"If I were President, I would make school illegal!" That sounds like something a little kid would say, and it's in a verb mood little kids probably can't name yet: the subjunctive. The subjunctive mood applies to conditional sentences, such as "I wish the new Batman movie were in theaters now." Thoughts expressed in the subjunctive mood are usually possibilities or desires — they aren't facts. People often use the subjunctive to talk about what they wish were true.

Definitions of subjunctive

1. adjective

   relating to a mood of verbs
   “subjunctive verb endings”
2. noun

   a mood that represents an act or state (not as a fact but) as contingent or possible
   synonyms: subjunctive mood

   type of:

   modality, mode, mood

   verb inflections that express how the action or state is conceived by the speaker