conditional sale
- noun
- /kənˈdɪʃənl seɪl/
- Formal
:
venta condicional
- A conditional sale requires the buyer to fulfill specific obligations.
Examples
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Under a conditional sale, the seller keeps the title to the goods until the buyer pays in full.
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The car dealership offered a conditional sale agreement to buyers who could not pay the full amount upfront.
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She purchased the machinery through a conditional sale, providing the seller with security in case of non-payment.
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The conditional sale agreement was signed last week.
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The store allows customers to make a conditional sale, meaning they can take home the item while paying the full price later.
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In our conditional sale agreement, we will retain ownership of the car until you complete all the payments.
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He entered into a conditional sale where ownership of the property would transfer once the buyer fulfilled the payment terms.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is an ordinary adjective + noun composition: 'conditional' (depending on conditions) modifies 'sale' (a selling transaction), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it means a sale that depends on certain conditions. While legal specifics (e.g., retention of ownership until payment) are technical, the core idea that the sale is subject to conditions is directly and transparently derivable.
Etymology
Conditional sale comes from the simple idea that the sale is conditional: the seller keeps the goods until the buyer meets the condition, usually to 'pay in full'. So, it means a sale where the seller keeps ownership until the buyer finishes payment.
