otherwise

pronoun oth·er·wise \ ˈə-t͟hər-ˌwīz \

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

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

Lots of prominent people think otherwise, of course.

— timothy b. lee, Ars Technica, "Bitcoin is hitting new highs—here’s why it might not be a bubble," 17 Nov. 2017
Going outside the city to find contractors, minority or otherwise, isn’t unusual.

— sharon coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "The truth about Cincinnati's minority hiring: Out-of-towners get the contracts," 31 Oct. 2017
The summer of 2016 saw the highest number of visitors ever to the state, from cruises and otherwise, at 1.8 million.

— author: annie zak, Alaska Dispatch News, "Projections show Alaska’s cruise industry just had a record-breaking season," 31 Oct. 2017
Darcy Costello/Courier-Journal/USA TODAY/Wochit Louisville Metro Police's Fourth Division tends to see more crime, violent or otherwise, than any other in the city.

— darcy costello, The Courier-Journal, "University of Louisville is near city's most crime-ridden area. How safe are students?," 30 Oct. 2017
William Gay was the Steelers' only cornerback with experience as a starter and Pittsburgh didn't pretend otherwise, surrendering the third-most passing yards in the league that season.

— jacob klinger | jklinger@pennlive.com, cleveland.com, "Steelers to play more press man vs. Chiefs & other pregame notes," 15 Oct. 2017
But really, there’s nothing surprising about a news outlet, Kremlin-supported or otherwise, spending money to advertise on Twitter.

— april glaser, Slate Magazine, "What Was Russia Up To?," 11 Oct. 2017
People call, email, tweet at me or otherwise engage me in conversation about the Bucks on a daily basis.

— matt velazquez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "This week in the NBA: Antetokounmpo, Porzingis earn player of the week honors," 4 Nov. 2017
These businesses, which include some small businesses, otherwise have their income taxed through the individual code on their owners' returns.

— jack moore, GQ, "Donald Trump's Proposed Tax Cut Underdelivers in a Major Way," 3 Nov. 2017

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.