unless

un·less | \ ən-ˈles

How to pronounce unless (audio)

, ˈən-ˌles\

Definition of unless

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : except on the condition that : under any other circumstance than

2 : without the accompanying circumstance or condition that : but that : but

unless

Definition of unless (Entry 2 of 2)

: except possibly : except

Examples of unless in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition Russia, in light of its current relationship with the West, is somewhere I would be inclined to avoid unless there was an exceptional yield available and exceptional transparency about the borrowing entity involved. — Washington Post, "When a Spy Network Beats an Investing Spreadsheet," 18 Sep. 2019 Lieberman, whose party is secular, refused to enter into a coalition with Netanyahu unless the prime minister agreed to a new military draft law for ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminarians. — Noga Tarnopolsky, Los Angeles Times, "Tight race and high stakes for Israel’s Netanyahu in Tuesday’s vote," 17 Sep. 2019 Further, unless Trip Provider agrees, the arbitrator may not consolidate other persons’ claims with yours, and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative, multi-claimant or class proceeding. — National Geographic, "Terms & Conditions," 15 Sep. 2019 Researchers associated with the emphysema study caution that as temperatures rise with climate change, ground-level ozone will continue to increase unless steps are taken to reduce this pollutant. — Sahana Ghosh, Quartz India, "India’s noxious emissions are messing up neighbours’ air, too," 8 Sep. 2019 But the goal is hard to meet unless employees come together to put in the work. — Jennifer Risi, Quartz at Work, "If you really want a diverse workforce, think smaller," 12 Sep. 2019 Group meets every Shabbat in the Social Hall unless otherwise noted. — Alan Goch, sun-sentinel.com, "Events for Broward and Miami-Dade counties for Sept. 11-17," 11 Sep. 2019 This is why – unless a person has TSA PreCheck – travelers have to take off jackets, hats, shoes and belts, and empty their pockets before passing through body-scanning devices. — Andrew O'reilly | Fox News, Fox News, "Jeb Bush shames ‘irate passengers’ complaining about airport security on 9/11," 11 Sep. 2019 Note: The point spreads listed at the top of the page are from vegasinsider.com as of Wednesday evening, unless otherwise noted. — Peter Dawson, Houston Chronicle, "Betting odds for Texas college football games in Week 2, including Texas-LSU and Texas A&M-Clemson," 5 Sep. 2019

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

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Time Traveler for unless

The first known use of unless was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for unless

unless

conjunction

English Language Learners Definition of unless

—used to say what will happen, be done, or be true if something else does not happen, is not done, or is not true

See the full definition for unless in the English Language Learners Dictionary

unless

un·less | \ ən-ˈles

\

Kids Definition of unless

: except on the condition that You can't have dessert unless you finish your dinner.

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