otherwise

pronoun oth·er·wise \ ˈə-t͟hər-ˌwīz \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Examples: otherwise in a Sentence

Definition of otherwise

: something or anything else : something to the contrary

was ordered to testify and could not do otherwise

Origin and Etymology of otherwise

Middle English, from Old English (on) ōthre wīsan in another manner

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

otherwise

adverb

Definition of otherwise

1 : in a different way or manner

glossed over or otherwise handled
—Playboy

All shows begin at 8:00 unless otherwise noted.

2 : in different circumstances

might otherwise have left

The test helps identify problems that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.

3 : in other respects

an otherwise flimsy farce
—Current Biography

I didn't like the ending, but otherwise it was a very good book.

The patient had a foot problem, but she was otherwise healthy.

4 : if not

do what I tell you, otherwise you'll be sorry

Tickets can be bought in advance at a discount; otherwise they can be purchased at the door for full price.

5 : not —paired with an adjective, adverb, noun, or verb to indicate its contrary or to suggest an indefinite alternative

people whose deeds, admirable or otherwise
—John Fischer

almost thirty thousand women, Irish and otherwise
—J. M. Burns

his opinion as to the success or otherwise of it
—Australian Dictionary of Biography

See otherwise defined for English-language learners

See otherwise defined for kids

Examples of otherwise in a Sentence

All of the books had been burned or otherwise destroyed.
The women talked in the living room while the men were otherwise occupied.
Art allows us to express things that we would not be able to express otherwise.
Something must be wrong; otherwise, he would have called.
The test helps identify problems that might otherwise go unnoticed.
One of the boys has a freckle on his cheek. Otherwise, the twins are nearly identical.
I didn't like the ending, but otherwise it was a very good book.

Recent Examples of otherwise from the Web

Bridges’s blend of long-range shooting and malleability on defense should lead to him being the next wing off the board after Missouri freshman Michael Porter Jr., though other Front Office writers would suggest otherwise.

— chris johnson, SI.com, "2018 NBA Draft Superlatives: Biggest Sleeper, Safest Pick And More," 14 June 2018
Refusing vaccinations for a few children can have a domino effect on public health, with outbreaks of otherwise preventable disease occurring with renewed frequency.

— brittany shoot, Fortune, "These Are the Riskiest Cities and Counties For Infectious Disease Epidemics," 14 June 2018
No American citizen, firm, green-card holder or person otherwise under U.S. jurisdiction is allowed to carry out direct financial transactions with any entity on the list.

— mimi whitefield, miamiherald, "U.S. travel to Cuba down since Trump policy change. So are reported human rights cases.," 14 June 2018
But the discovery in Harris' lawsuit revealed many officers — even former Chief Edward Flynn — thought otherwise.

— bruce vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A driver was stopped and arrested, violently, over the color of his car. His lawsuit is finally headed to a resolution.," 14 June 2018
The fact is, PACE has enabled thousands of people with bad credit to harden their homes who otherwise wouldn’t be able to.

— ron hurtibise, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Will new federal rules slow PACE of energy-efficiency storm-hardening home upgrade program?," 13 June 2018
The network Sunday morning public affairs shows, which compete fiercely against each other, have otherwise always been broadcast from Washington, D.C.

— brian flood, Fox News, "Disney selling ABC News’ longtime headquarters as trouble looms for embattled TV stars, journalists," 13 June 2018
Mike Seibert, Opportunity's former senior driver, says that the prior storm contaminated one of the rover's scientific instruments but otherwise left the spacecraft intact.

— National Geographic, "Mars Rover Powers Down During Dust Storm—But It's Not Dead Yet," 13 June 2018
Kiwano and cherimoya and rambutan, oh my! The produce aisle has never been so overrun with funky, exotic and otherwise unusual fruit.

— paul stephen, San Antonio Express-News, "Your guide to your store’s funky fruits: What’s good, how to eat them," 13 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'otherwise.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.