conditioned

conditioned — adjective

1. having been taught or shaped by repeated experience to react, feel, or expect so

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

having been taught or shaped by repeated experience to react, feel, or expect something automatically, without needing to think about it.

Example

Vinícius was conditioned to apologise the moment anyone raised their voice at him.

conditioned + to-infinitive

City dogs become conditioned to traffic noise within a few weeks of moving in.

conditioned to + noun: stimulus pattern

Common collocations
  • conditioned response
  • conditioned reflex
  • deeply conditioned
  • socially conditioned
  • culturally conditioned
Synonyms
  • trained

    broader; covers any deliberate teaching, not only automatic responses

  • programmed

    stronger and often negative — implies the person has lost free choice

  • indoctrinated

    very negative; refers to ideas being forced on someone

Antonyms
  • unconditioned

    technical psychology term for a natural, untrained response

  • spontaneous

    happening freely, not as a learned habit

Grammar Patterns

conditioned to do something

conditioned into doing something

Usage Note

Almost always used in the passive (be / get / become conditioned). The agent or trigger is introduced by 'by' (conditioned by experience) or the response is given with 'to' + infinitive or 'into' + -ing.

Common Mistakes

Years of training conditioned him for run faster.
Years of training conditioned him to run faster.
use 'to' + base verb, not 'for'.
She is very conditioned about traffic noise.
She is conditioned to traffic noise.
preposition is 'to' for the trigger, not 'about'.

2. (of a person, animal, or muscle) in strong physical shape because of regular exe

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

(of a person, animal, or muscle) in strong physical shape because of regular exercise, training, or careful diet.

Example

Imran arrived at camp as the most conditioned runner on the squad.

most conditioned: gradable comparison

A well-conditioned racehorse can recover its breathing within minutes after a long gallop.

well-conditioned + noun: typical compound

Common collocations
  • well-conditioned
  • highly conditioned
  • poorly conditioned
  • conditioned athlete
  • conditioned horse
Synonyms
  • fit

    much more common in everyday speech; less specialist sounding

  • in shape

    informal; common in spoken English

  • trained

    emphasises the process of training rather than the resulting state

Antonyms
  • out of shape

    informal opposite, very common

  • unfit

    general everyday word for not physically strong

Grammar Patterns

well-conditioned + noun

Usage Note

Usually appears with a degree adverb (well-, highly-, poorly-) or in comparative form. Distinguish from sense 1 (mental conditioning) by context: a body or muscle group is the subject here, not a behaviour or thought.

Common Mistakes

He is a conditioned man, he can run a marathon.
He is in good condition' or 'He is well-conditioned'.
bare 'a conditioned man' sounds odd; native speakers use 'in good condition' or pair it with a degree adverb.

3. (of hair, skin, or leather) made softer, smoother, or shinier after a creamy pro

3.adjectiveC1
Definition

(of hair, skin, or leather) made softer, smoother, or shinier after a creamy product has been worked into it.

Example

Rin loved how light and conditioned her hair felt after the salon treatment.

feel conditioned: sensory result

The leather jacket looked properly conditioned, with no cracks across the shoulders.

properly conditioned: degree adverb + cosmetic state

Common collocations
  • well-conditioned hair
  • deeply conditioned
  • smoothly conditioned
  • conditioned skin
Synonyms
  • moisturised

    specifically about adding moisture to skin or hair

  • softened

    general verb; less specifically about beauty products

  • nourished

    marketing language for hair and skin care

Antonyms
  • dry

    the typical opposite when describing hair or skin

  • brittle

    stronger negative — easy to break, lacking softness

Usage Note

Refers to the result of using a conditioner (cream, oil, lotion). Most often in the structures 'feel / look / keep something conditioned'. Distinguish from sense 1 by subject: hair, skin, leather — never a behaviour or response.

Common Mistakes

I conditioned hair with this oil yesterday.
I conditioned my hair with this oil yesterday.' or 'My hair felt nicely conditioned afterwards.
needs a possessive ('my hair') or a stative frame ('felt conditioned').

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four describe people whose responses have been shaped by outside influence, but they differ in tone and degree. 'Conditioned' is the most neutral and scientific — it points to the gradual building of an automatic response through repeated experience: 'children are conditioned by their parents' praise.' 'Trained' is the broadest and most positive: it covers anything taught on purpose, from typing to playing the violin. 'Programmed' is more dramatic and often critical, suggesting the person now acts almost mechanically and has lost real choice: 'she felt programmed to apologise even when she was right.' 'Indoctrinated' is the strongest and most negative, used when ideas — usually political or religious — have been forced on someone, often without honest discussion. Use 'conditioned' when you want to describe shaped behaviour without strong judgment.

conditioned ↗trainedprogrammedindoctrinated

Common collocations

Nouns

  • conditioned response
  • conditioned reflex
  • conditioned air
  • conditioned athlete

Adverbs

Phrases

  • become conditioned
  • be conditioned to do something
  • feel conditioned

Prepositions

  • conditioned by
  • conditioned to
  • conditioned into

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

Past participle of the verb 'condition', which itself came from Latin 'condicio' (an agreement, terms, situation) through Old French. The psychological meaning of 'conditioned response' was popularised in the early 20th century by Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov's work on dogs and bells, which is why this sense feels especially scientific.