other

1 of 5

adjective

oth·​er ˈə-t͟hər How to pronounce other (audio)
1
a
: being the one (as of two or more) remaining or not included
held on with one hand and waved with the other one
b
: being the one or ones distinct from that or those first mentioned or implied
taller than the other boys
c
: second
every other day
2
: not the same : different
any other color would have been better
something other than it seems to be
3
: additional
sold in the U.S. and 14 other countries
4
a
: recently past
the other evening
b
: former
in other times
5
: disturbingly or threateningly different : alien, exotic

other

2 of 5

noun

1
: a different or additional one
the others came later
2
a
: one that remains of two or more
b
: a thing opposite to or excluded by something else
went from one side to the other
nature as the other of culture
3
a
: one (such as another person) that is psychologically differentiated from the self
b
often capitalized : one considered by members of a dominant group as alien, exotic, threatening, or inferior (as because of different racial, sexual, or cultural characteristics)

other

3 of 5

pronoun

sometimes plural in construction
1
: a different or additional one
something or other
2
obsolete
a
: one of two that remains
b
: each preceding one

other

4 of 5

adverb

: otherwise
used with than
was unable to see them other than by going to their home

other

5 of 5

verb

othered; othering

transitive verb

: to treat or consider (a person or a group of people) as alien to oneself or one's group (as because of different racial, sexual, or cultural characteristics)
… we trace how in small rural communities these processes of othering the poor are racializedVictoria Lawson et al.
You go in and don't have to go some dark, scary corner for the plus-size section. It can make you feel like you're not being othered and dehumanized.Amanda Levitt
othering
ˈə-t͟hə-riŋ How to pronounce other (audio)
ˈət͟h-
noun
I am a black writer struggling with and through a language that can powerfully evoke and enforce hidden signs of racial superiority, cultural hegemony, and dismissive "othering" of people … Toni Morrison

Did you know?

Is other a verb?

Like many English words, other possesses great flexibility in meaning and function. Over the past few centuries, it has served as an adjective, an adverb, a noun, and a pronoun. In recent decades, other has increased its part-of-speech portfolio to include verb use, having acquired the meaning "to treat or consider (a person or a group of people) as alien to oneself or one's group (as because of different racial, sexual, or cultural characteristics).” Some people find it disconcerting when a word takes on a new part of speech, a process known as functional shift. The phenomenon is quite common, however -- our language contains many thousands of words which have been formed in this fashion.

Examples of other in a Sentence

Adjective These and other issues will be discussed at the next meeting. The driver's wife and two other passengers were injured in the accident. Leaders from China, Russia, and 14 other countries attended the conference.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
To reply to other posts, simply include ‘re:’ or ‘to’ the topic in the subject line of your post. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Looking to work with other artists, Alexander moved to London's Notting Hill neighborhood. Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 An officer located the truck and observed detained the driver, who was in possession of methamphetamine, oxycodone, drug paraphernalia, burglary tools and personal ID information belonging to other people. Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Investigators uncovered other evidence suggesting Vo was directly involved in the disappearance and killings of the two women, police said. Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2024 These include a range of up to 330 miles, a 0-60mph acceleration in three seconds, five seats, and a starting price of $47,000 (though a $47,500 starting price was reportedly also mentioned on other parts of the site). Jon Porter, The Verge, 5 Mar. 2024 Hot on its heels came other K-pop girl groups: Twice, Itzy, Red Velvet, Everglow. TIME, 5 Mar. 2024 All of these lifestyle habits have been linked to other types of cancer, as well. Maggie O'Neill, Health, 5 Mar. 2024 Along with the graphic images of Swift, other celebrity fakes — including a new comedy special by the deceased George Carlin — have become increasingly prominent. USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
Ventura Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley and Soto Street on the Eastside, among dozens of others, would get new bike lanes. Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 The district stretches from urban areas in Montgomery and Mobile to rural communities across the Wiregrass region where the peanut crop among others dominate. Kyle Gassiott, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 Hundreds of thousands of others in the state have roots on the island nation. Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 Jason Bowles, representing the armorer, faulted Baldwin, who was one of more than a dozen producers on the film, among others. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 The program, which introduced Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, among others, had perfect pitch. Joe Lynch, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 Downtown Phoenix saw the rise of some of their tallest buildings and largest offices in this decade as well when the Century Link Tower, BMO Tower and Renaissance Square opened, among others. Kira Caspers, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 She’s also signed deals with Gatorade, Nike and State Farm, among others, recently. Sam Joseph, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 Murphy, the outlier in the race, was endorsed by the Democratic Party of Sacramento County, the California Democratic Renters Council, the Latino Democratic Club, and the Folsom Area Democratic Club, among others. Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 6 Mar. 2024
Adverb
Indeed there had been other more obvious candidates for the job. Nicole Gull McElroy, Fortune, 16 June 2022 Vasquez has his own namesake park, the spectacular Vasquez Rocks, his onetime hideout — hundreds of acres with fabled, other-worldly sandstone formations in Agua Dulce. Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2022 Thankfully, other more tasteful colors are available. Scott Oldham, Car and Driver, 20 May 2020 That economic frailty has damaged other important sources of investor income as well. Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 15 May 2020 Cases of people in both categories should be reported as likely Covid-19 only if there is no other more plausible diagnosis, the recommendations say. Pam Belluck, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2020 With the civil rights era, other more egregious wrongs in the American electoral system were gradually rectified, and so even more attention focused on the census itself. Anna Diamond, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Apr. 2020 Also, if that camera isn’t your cup of tea, there are several other more expensive, fancier Instax camera options as well as less expensive options you can get used, or factory renewed, for much cheaper. oregonlive, 20 Mar. 2020 Beyond other more established Counter Strike events, the new league will also have to bang it out with another esports league that features a realistic, first-person shooter video game. Noah Smith, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'other.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Noun, Pronoun, and Adverb

Middle English, from Old English ōther; akin to Old High German andar other, Sanskrit antara

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Pronoun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1985, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of other was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near other

Cite this Entry

“Other.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/other. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

other

1 of 4 adjective
oth·​er ˈət͟h-ər How to pronounce other (audio)
1
: not being the one or ones first mentioned or included
broke my other arm
2
: having one come before that is not included or counted : second
every other day
3
: not the same : different
any other color would be better
4
: additional
some other guests are coming
5
: recently past
the other evening

other

2 of 4 noun
1
: a remaining one
lift one foot and then the other
2
: a different or additional one
the others came later

other

3 of 4 pronoun
: a different or additional one
something or other

other

4 of 4 adverb
: otherwise sense 1
could not get there other than by helicopter

More from Merriam-Webster on other

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