ei·ther-or
ˌē-t͟hər-ˈȯr 
also ˌī-
: an unavoidable choice or exclusive division between only two alternatives
: of or marked by either-or : black-and-white
Examples of either-or in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
The future requires a more nuanced and holistic approach than the traditional either-or perspective.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
But unlike last offseason, when the Falcons committed $90 million guaranteed to Kirk Cousins before using a first-round pick for another QB, Michael Penix Jr., the move to draft pass rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. was not an either-or proposition.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 29 May 2025
Everett gives the agonizing either-or decision to James instead.
—John Jeremiah Sullivan, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
The solution to the remote work paradox is not an either-or choice.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Braving a series of twists and turns while racing down the flume of a high-speed dueling water coaster?
Sun Sentinel
Dave Hyde: Ten April blunders tell why Dolphins don’t win in January
For too much of a quarter-century, the Dolphins have been on the wrong side of either-or draft decisions.
—South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2025
Moving beyond the binary understanding of either-or this means recognizing that AI is a tool to augment, not replace, human capabilities.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Olah, like many in the community who balance visions of utopian abundance and existential devastation, plants himself in the middle of this either-or proposition.
—Steven Levy, Wired News, 28 Mar. 2025
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Noun
Final Thoughts Choosing to go cashless is not either-or.
—True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
The future requires a more nuanced and holistic approach than the traditional either-or perspective.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
But unlike last offseason, when the Falcons committed $90 million guaranteed to Kirk Cousins before using a first-round pick for another QB, Michael Penix Jr., the move to draft pass rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. was not an either-or proposition.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 29 May 2025
Everett gives the agonizing either-or decision to James instead.
—John Jeremiah Sullivan, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
The solution to the remote work paradox is not an either-or choice.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Braving a series of twists and turns while racing down the flume of a high-speed dueling water coaster?
Sun Sentinel
Dave Hyde: Ten April blunders tell why Dolphins don’t win in January
For too much of a quarter-century, the Dolphins have been on the wrong side of either-or draft decisions.
—South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2025
Moving beyond the binary understanding of either-or this means recognizing that AI is a tool to augment, not replace, human capabilities.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Olah, like many in the community who balance visions of utopian abundance and existential devastation, plants himself in the middle of this either-or proposition.
—Steven Levy, Wired News, 28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Either-or.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/either-or. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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