unlike

adjective

un·like | \ ˌən-ˈlīk

Definition of unlike

(Entry 1 of 3)

: not like: such as

a : marked by lack of resemblance : different the two books are quite unlike

b : marked by inequality : unequal contributed unlike amounts

unlike

preposition

Definition of unlike (Entry 2 of 3)

: not like: such as

a : different from a landscape unlike any other

b : not characteristic of it was unlike him to be late

c : in a different manner from spoke clearly, unlike the others

unlike

conjunction

Definition of unlike (Entry 3 of 3)

: in a manner that is different than : not as

Other Words from unlike Synonyms & Antonyms Can unlike be used as a conjunction?: Usage Guide Example Sentences Learn More about unlike

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Can unlike be used as a conjunction?: Usage Guide

Conjunction

The use of unlike as a conjunction is less common than conjunctive use of like and, while criticized, is not as frequently cited as an error. The conjunctive unlike almost always introduces a prepositional phrase. unlike in other areas, the judiciary cannot justify its attempt … as a necessary evil — Alexandra M. Walsh, Stanford Law Rev. In spite of criticism, this conjunctive use of unlike is well established in both American and British English.

Examples of unlike in a Sentence

Adjective

a comparison of unlike things you're trying to compare very unlike things—like those proverbial apples and oranges

Preposition

The plants that grow here are unlike the plants that grow where I live. She's unlike anyone I've ever met.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The Tod’s honcho is not unlike Moncler’s Remo Ruffini in his thinking. — Nicole Phelps, Vogue, "Tod’s Makes Alessandro Dell’Acqua Its First Tod’s Factory Collaborator," 25 Sep. 2018 But not unlike Facebook, the company is able to provide targeted mailing thanks to a proprietary system that organizes addresses into categories, such as moms, people who’ve just moved, or residents of high income areas. — Chavie Lieber, Vox, "Why so many hip startups advertise with snail mail," 1 Nov. 2018 Though most of its dialogue is in English, and its lead cast is predominately English-speaking, its locations are all Asian — not wholly unlike Skyscraper, as well as the Pacific Rim movies. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "Jason Statham and a colossal shark can’t save The Meg from a lifeless existence," 9 Aug. 2018 Such criticism ignores the sacred responsibility of the president to hold his subordinates accountable — a function not unlike public congressional oversight hearings. — New York Times, "Mueller Hopes Obstruction Inquiry Into Trump May Wrap Up by Sept. 1, Giuliani Says," 20 May 2018 And not unlike Discover’s own program, retailing giant Walmart announced in late May plans to offer subsidized college tuition for its workers, both online and in-person, at the University of Florida, Brandman University, and Bellevue University. — Lucinda Shen, Fortune, "Discover to Offer Full-Ride Online Bachelor's Degrees," 12 June 2018 Xhaka is currently at the World Cup with his national team - unlike Bellerin, who was passed over for Dani Carvajal and Álvaro Odriozola, with Nacho and Cesar Azpilicueta preferred by Julen Lopetegui as versatile backup options. — SI.com, "Hector Bellerin Named as One of Unai Emery's 5 'Untouchables' at Arsenal as New Regime Takes Shape," 19 June 2018 In Canada, a flaky tart shell holds a dense, sweet sugar custard not unlike pecan pie filling. — Florence Fabricant, New York Times, "Butter Tarts Clear Customs," 29 May 2018 Because unlike students being murdered in their American classrooms, a Royal Wedding is a rare event. — Nicole Hockley, Time, "My Youngest Son Was Murdered at Sandy Hook. I Worry About the One Who Survived," 21 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition

Shopping 24 Slides Not unlike underwear, swimwear is something that's very personal. — Glamour, "The 6 Best Swimsuit Trends to Shop in 2019," 4 Apr. 2019 Not unlike at his homes in Argentina and Miami, on vivid display in his coffee table memoir, visual excess is essential to the Faena secret sauce. — Erik Maza, Town & Country, "Alan Faena Built the Ultimate Shopping Bazaar for Design Snobs," 26 Mar. 2019 But the forms patients must sign have also turned nightmarish, not unlike the dense legalese of many financial, leasing and other user agreements meant to be signed pro forma but not really to be read and understood. — WSJ, "Myriad Paper Forms Litter Bold ‘Paperless’ EHR World," 21 Mar. 2019 Walking through his hair closet is not unlike walking through a museum of celebrity hair, with each piece telling its own story. — Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, "Hairstylist Chris Appleton Shows Us His Insane Collection of Celebrity Wigs," 28 Feb. 2019 And unlike some van companies out there with subpar websites and service, RB Components delivers. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "7 van conversion companies that can build your dream camper," 24 Sep. 2018 Unsurprisingly, chest acne accompanies facial acne in teens (unlike body acne, which is a whole different ball game). — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Get Rid of Chest Acne in a Zap With These Tips," 5 Mar. 2019 Three travellers left the embrace of our world entirely to go somewhere so unlike Earth, and yet with a history so deeply intertwined with our planet’s. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "Why Apollo 8 Mattered," 21 Dec. 2018 That's so unlike any of these hearings in Washington. — Fox News, "Trump secures major trade concessions from EU," 26 July 2018

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