"what-if" meaning in English

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "what-iffery"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "what-ifs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "what-if (plural what-ifs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "what if"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "32 30 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "31 32 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "31 34 35",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2005, Paul Carter, Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs, Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin, page 199:",
          "text": "Each man was running over the what ifs in his mind.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A speculation as to what might have happened if something else had happened earlier."
      ],
      "id": "en-what-if-en-noun-xxT-GzpE",
      "links": [
        [
          "speculation",
          "speculation"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) A speculation as to what might have happened if something else had happened earlier."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "32 30 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "31 32 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "31 34 35",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A hypothetical case or situation, usually evoked by a sense of anxiety or uncertainty."
      ],
      "id": "en-what-if-en-noun-w-EvzTLA",
      "links": [
        [
          "hypothetical",
          "hypothetical"
        ],
        [
          "case",
          "case"
        ],
        [
          "situation",
          "situation"
        ],
        [
          "evoke",
          "evoke"
        ],
        [
          "sense",
          "sense"
        ],
        [
          "anxiety",
          "anxiety"
        ],
        [
          "uncertainty",
          "uncertainty"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) A hypothetical case or situation, usually evoked by a sense of anxiety or uncertainty."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Abraham Lincoln",
    "Assassination of Abraham Lincoln"
  ],
  "word": "what-if"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "what-ifs",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "what-iffing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "what-iffed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "what-iffed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "++"
      },
      "expansion": "what-if (third-person singular simple present what-ifs, present participle what-iffing, simple past and past participle what-iffed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "32 30 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "31 32 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "31 34 35",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "22 24 55",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Alternate history",
          "orig": "en:Alternate history",
          "parents": [
            "History",
            "Speculative fiction",
            "All topics",
            "Fiction",
            "Genres",
            "Fundamental",
            "Artistic works",
            "Entertainment",
            "Art",
            "Culture",
            "Society"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To speculate about the consequences of something that could have happened."
      ],
      "id": "en-what-if-en-verb-sigRkaLN",
      "links": [
        [
          "speculate",
          "speculate"
        ],
        [
          "consequence",
          "consequence"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) To speculate about the consequences of something that could have happened."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "counterfactual"
        },
        {
          "word": "ifs, ands, or buts"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Abraham Lincoln",
    "Assassination of Abraham Lincoln"
  ],
  "word": "what-if"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "en:Alternate history"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "what-iffery"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "what-ifs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "what-if (plural what-ifs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "what if"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2005, Paul Carter, Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs, Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin, page 199:",
          "text": "Each man was running over the what ifs in his mind.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A speculation as to what might have happened if something else had happened earlier."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "speculation",
          "speculation"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) A speculation as to what might have happened if something else had happened earlier."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A hypothetical case or situation, usually evoked by a sense of anxiety or uncertainty."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "hypothetical",
          "hypothetical"
        ],
        [
          "case",
          "case"
        ],
        [
          "situation",
          "situation"
        ],
        [
          "evoke",
          "evoke"
        ],
        [
          "sense",
          "sense"
        ],
        [
          "anxiety",
          "anxiety"
        ],
        [
          "uncertainty",
          "uncertainty"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) A hypothetical case or situation, usually evoked by a sense of anxiety or uncertainty."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Abraham Lincoln",
    "Assassination of Abraham Lincoln"
  ],
  "word": "what-if"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "en:Alternate history"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "what-ifs",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "what-iffing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "what-iffed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "what-iffed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "++"
      },
      "expansion": "what-if (third-person singular simple present what-ifs, present participle what-iffing, simple past and past participle what-iffed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "counterfactual"
    },
    {
      "word": "ifs, ands, or buts"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To speculate about the consequences of something that could have happened."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "speculate",
          "speculate"
        ],
        [
          "consequence",
          "consequence"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) To speculate about the consequences of something that could have happened."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Abraham Lincoln",
    "Assassination of Abraham Lincoln"
  ],
  "word": "what-if"
}