else

American  

[els] / ɛls /

adjective

1. other than the persons or things mentioned or implied.

   What else could I have done?

2. in addition to the persons or things mentioned or implied.

   Who else was there?

3. other or in addition (used in the possessive following an indefinite pronoun).

   someone else's money.

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adverb

1. if not (usually preceded byor ).

   It's a macaw, or else I don't know birds.

2. in some other way; otherwise.

   How else could I have acted?

3. at some other place or time.

   Where else might I find this book?

idioms

1. or else, or suffer the consequences.

   Do what I say, or else.

else British  

/ ɛls /

determiner

1. in addition; more

   there is nobody else here

2. other; different

   where else could he be?

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adverb

1. 1. if not, then

      go away or else I won't finish my work today

   2. or something terrible will result: used as a threat

      sit down, or else!

else More Idioms  

1. see in someone's (else's) shoes; or else; something else; something else again.

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Grammar

The possessive forms of somebody else, everybody else, etc., are somebody else's, everybody else's, the forms somebody's else, everybody's else being considered nonstandard in present-day English. One exception is the possessive for who else, which is occasionally formed as whose else when a noun does not immediately follow: Is this book yours? Whose else could it be? No, it's somebody else's.

Etymology

Origin of else

before 1000; Middle English, Old English elles (cognate with Old High German elles ), equivalent to ell- other (cognate with Gothic aljis, Latin alius, Old Irish aile Greek állos, Armenian ayl other; cf. eldritch) + -es -s 1

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

else

The AI model developer’s listing, likely to take place in a matter of weeks, will say as much about access to capital for everyone else as it does about Anthropic’s viability as a business.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

The best example of how this works comes from — who else?

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

He was the Bundesliga's top scorer with 36 goals - 17 clear of anyone else.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

OK, let’s shift gears from international relations to something closer to home—like what else you should be reading this evening:

From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026

“It belongs here. I’ll paint something else for my portfolio.”

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

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