otherwise

American  

[uhth-er-wahyz] / ˈʌð ərˌwaɪz /

adverb

1. under other circumstances.

   Otherwise they may get broken.

2. in another manner; differently.

   Under the circumstances, I can't believe otherwise.

3. in other respects.

   an otherwise happy life.

---

conjunction

1. or else; if not.

   Button up your overcoat, otherwise you'll catch cold.

adjective

1. other or different; of another nature or kind.

   We hoped his behavior would be otherwise.

2. in other or different circumstances.

   An otherwise pleasure had become a grinding chore.

otherwise British  

/ ˈʌðəˌwaɪz /

1. or else; if not, then

   go home — otherwise your mother will worry

---

adverb

1. differently

   I wouldn't have thought otherwise

2. in other respects

   an otherwise hopeless situation

adjective

1. (predicative) of an unexpected nature; different

   the facts are otherwise

pronoun

1. something different in outcome

   success or otherwise

Usage

The expression otherwise than means in any other way than and should not be followed by an adjective: no-one taught by this method can be other than (not otherwise than ) successful; you are not allowed to use the building otherwise than as a private dwelling

Etymology

Origin of otherwise

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English (on) ōthre wīsan “(in) another manner”; equivalent to other + -wise

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

otherwise

And if the management team of an otherwise strong company can “manage expectations” properly, an otherwise good growth story can become an even better one, Nelson explained during an interview with MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

AI-based language analysis may help researchers uncover patterns that would otherwise remain hidden.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026

Other cast members in Mountain include Scottish actor Peter Mullan and Rebecca Lucy Taylor, otherwise known as singer Self Esteem.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

Just as they did in Beethoven's time, euphoric revellers still spill out onto the paths of the otherwise sleepy outskirts in the vine-lined Viennese hillsides after a few carafes of white- or red-wine spritzers.

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

From the front and back of each otherwise ordinary dress a large X had been cut out and replaced with cloth of another color.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom