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

Horse racing at a county fair track like the one in Pleasanton — which was built in 1859 and is said to be among the oldest in the U.S. — is unlike horse racing at Golden Gate Fields in Albany or Santa Anita in Arcadia. — Steve Rubenstein, SFChronicle.com, "Horse-racing diehards at Pleasanton track concede sport needs to be made safe in wake of new law," 27 June 2019 The result is creamy but with lots of cereal crunch, and quite unlike most ice cream treats. — Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, "St. Paul cereal bar, first of its kind in MN, will serve breakfast treat mixed with ice cream," 11 June 2019 Among them, is Ike Barinholtz's comedian character Daniel Tennant, a frat-boy with jokes that are pure shock, not unlike much of Dane Cook's once wildly popular material. — Sydney Bucksbaum, refinery29.com, "Is Ike Barinholtz's Late Night Character Based On... Dane Cook?," 15 June 2019 The only reason the world started to find out what was happening at Chernobyl was that windborne nuclear fallout, unlike information, cannot be bottled up. — Kyle Smith, National Review, "Chernobyl: Devastating Indictment of Socialism, Not Trumpism," 5 June 2019 So unlike sugar or starch, for instance, fiber is not actually a great source of fuel for the body. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "What’s the Difference Between Soluble and Insoluble Fiber?," 15 May 2019 Look up and discover helictites, which look like suspended coral, and anthodites, which are not unlike stone sea urchins. — Nicole Clausing, Sunset, "Spelunking the West: 10 Great Scenic Caves to Explore," 22 Jan. 2018 Many consumer advocates argued that once the rules were scrapped, broadband providers would begin selling the internet in bundles, not unlike cable television packages. — Keith Collins, BostonGlobe.com, "The repeal of net neutrality is official. Here’s how that could affect you," 11 June 2018 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

Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition

In Japan, for example, as a result of both an aging population and Shintoism (which considers inanimate objects to have spirits not unlike humans’), AI companions may become even more widespread than in the West. — The Atlantic, "The Metamorphosis," 11 July 2019 Not unlike his other projects, Bassett builds his violins to last. — Patrick Raycraft, courant.com, "Farmington’s Ed Bassett builds violins by hand, hour by hour, crafting masterpieces to last a lifetime," 11 July 2019 Schooler just has a knack for being around the ball, not unlike the player he often is compared to, Scooby Wright. — Michael Lev, azcentral, "Counting down the most valuable Arizona Wildcats for 2019 football season," 9 July 2019 After all, putting on a wedding is not unlike producing a runway show: There’s music, hair and makeup, and models (also known as bridesmaids). — Alexandra Macon, Vogue, "Milliner Eugenia Kim’s Wedding Day Look Was Inspired by Madonna in Evita," 9 July 2019 Employee ownership is a bold suite of ideas, not unlike the Green New Deal—one that’s capable of transforming the U.S. economy. — John Case, The New Republic, "An Economy in Waiting," 8 July 2019 Sweeney is loathe to comment publicly on contract negotiations, not unlike his predecessor, Peter Chiarelli. — Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, "Canadiens’ offer sheet to Sebastian Aho a swing and miss," 6 July 2019 For better or worse, collecting voice data to determine which ads a user should get isn’t unlike the practices of other tech companies. — Xavier Harding, Fortune, "Spotify's Pre-Save Feature Gives Record Labels User Data, Account Access," 28 June 2019 Not unlike Vice Media, Homegrown is especially known for covering social topics considered taboo or unimportant by mainstream outlets, such as LGBTQ identity, female sexuality, and body image. — Aria Thaker, Quartz at Work, "How Indian media company Homegrown imploded in the wake of #MeToo," 11 June 2019

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.