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

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 But as scary as news of a failure in your bank's online security system can be, there's something even more terrifying about human failures; unlike network breaches, these strike at our primal need to trust. — Daniel Mendelsohn, Town & Country, "How Notorious White-Collar Criminals Use Their Friends and Social Connections," 4 Nov. 2016

Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition

But unlike the other models, the Trunk S comes in a conveniently smaller size—25.6 x 15.35 inches, which isn't quite small enough to be a carry-on, but still a lot easier to tote around than hefty steamer trunks. — Caitlin Morton, Condé Nast Traveler, "RIMOWA's New Pop-Up Is One More Reason to Visit Aspen This Winter," 20 Dec. 2018 Those brown dwarfs, unlike beta Pictoris, weren't surrounded by much gas or dust, so their new planet couldn't have formed by vacuuming up the stellar disk. — Meghan Bartels, Space.com, "Twin Exoplanets Look Alike, Act Alike … But Have Completely Different Origins," 18 July 2018 Photo: Frank Franklin II/Associated Press Even before this season, Foles’s career in Philadelphia was a roller-coaster unlike any other. — Andrew Beaton, WSJ, "Saint Nick Foles Is Here to Save the Eagles. Again.," 28 Dec. 2018 But one singer earned a reaction from the fans and coaches that was unlike any other. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "'The Voice' Frontrunner Kymberli Joye's Emotional Performance Left Everyone in Tears," 27 Nov. 2018 The warnings indicate the romaine lettuce recall is widespread—unlike others that only apply to certain brands, states or stores, the CDC is currently considering all romaine lettuce unsafe to eat. — Macaela Mackenzie, Glamour, "Do Not Eat Any Romaine Lettuce: Health Officials Have Issued a Massive Recall," 20 Nov. 2018 Ouster's lidar is unlike any others on the market today. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Why millions of lasers on a chip could be the future of lidar," 8 Nov. 2018 What a spectacle Beckham and his fellow Major League Soccer ownership group stepped into in a Miami City Commission meeting quite unlike any other. — Greg Cote, miamiherald, "David Beckham confronts his biggest fight yet to (finally) bring MLS soccer to Miami," 12 July 2018 More: Reds' rally vs. Indians in Cleveland unlike any other in about 100 years Heinie Groh went 3-for-5, Edd Roush went 2-for-4. — Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Paul Daugherty: Lucky? Good? These Cincinnati Reds are probably both.," 11 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.