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

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 That's not unlike Trump going after former Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota, who resigned his seat after allegations of unwanted and forcible kissing by multiple women. — Z. Byron Wolf, CNN, "Hubris, hypocrisy and (former) NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman," 8 May 2018 And beams of light, unlike wires, are hazardous to human eyeballs, which means that these bots are not going to be free to play Johnny Appleseed any time soon. — Ellen Airhart, WIRED, "This Insect-Sized Flying Robot Is Powered by Lasers," 15 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition

Those companies don’t need access to their funding right away, unlike the smaller creators that need cash to get started on production. — Ashley Carman, The Verge, "Indiegogo will withhold certain crowdfunding campaigns’ funds until they ship," 14 Nov. 2018 But unlike with a subsidized loan, students are responsible for paying the interest that accrues during all periods. — Cheryl Winokur Munk, WSJ, "The Pros and Cons of Federal vs. Private Student Loans," 1 Nov. 2018 But unlike many others on death row, Dozier, who was convicted of murder, actually wants the state of Nevada to execute him. — Abdullah Shihipar, Teen Vogue, "Lethal Injection Drugs and the Death Penalty, Explained," 30 Oct. 2018 But, unlike in Cleveland and Columbus, the effect in Cincinnati isn’t always subtle. — Elissa Strauss, Glamour, "The Changing Face of Beauty In America," 8 Oct. 2018 But unlike the other planets mentioned, there really isn't anything visually distinctive about it in the night sky. — Joe Rao, Space.com, "The Moon Has a Close Encounter with Saturn on Tuesday Night," 23 July 2018 And a mutually agreeable resolution might be difficult to find — because, unlike some of Trump’s other trade spats, his standoff with China has real stakes for both nations. — Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "After Trump’s New Tariff Threat, China Seeks Strategy for Retaliation," 11 July 2018 But unlike other festivals, these attendees didn't have to go overboard with their glam to get noticed. — refinery29.com, "Half A Million People Went To Essence Festival — & These 25 Looks Stood Out," 10 July 2018 With Fox Talbot’s paper prints — unlike later paper processes, such as albumen prints — the image sinks into the paper rather than rests on its surface. — Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, "At Yale: on the threshold and under the volcano," 6 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.