View synonyms for

otherwise

[ uhth-er-wahyz ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adverb

under other circumstances:
Otherwise they may get broken.
in another manner; differently:
Under the circumstances, I can't believe otherwise.
in other respects:
an otherwise happy life.

conjunction

or else; if not:
Button up your overcoat, otherwise you'll catch cold.

adjective

other or different; of another nature or kind:
We hoped his behavior would be otherwise.
in other or different circumstances:
An otherwise pleasure had become a grinding chore.

otherwise

/ ˈʌðəˌ�ɲ�ɪ�� /

sentence connector

or else; if not, then
go home — otherwise your mother will worry

adverb

differently
I wouldn't have thought otherwise
in other respects
an otherwise hopeless situation

adjective

predicative of an unexpected nature; different
the facts are otherwise

pronoun

something different in outcome
success or otherwise

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Usage

The expression otherwise than means in any other way than and should not be followed by an adjective: no-one taught by this method can be other than (not otherwise than ) successful; you are not allowed to use the building otherwise than as a private dwelling

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Word History and Origins

Origin of otherwise¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English (on) ōthre wīsan “(in) another manner”; equivalent to other + -wise

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Word History and Origins

Origin of otherwise¹

C14: from Old English on ōthre wīsan in other manner

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Trump would not have otherwise been elected twice.

From

Young’s developing a school-based internship program that would offer academic credit and paid experience to local youth, granting access to a world they might otherwise have never stepped into.

From

On several occasions in just over three months, Trump has said he isn’t joking about exploring ways to run for a third term, or to otherwise remain in power.

From

You have to build systems, because otherwise you can't run anything remotely as complicated as a modern industrial economy.

From

Then an idea came to her during a run: create a model tracking the human impact, including the inevitable increase in HIV/AIDS infection and transmission and the subsequent rise in otherwise preventable deaths.

From

otherwhile other woman

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