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; eldritch ) + -es -s 1

Example Sentences

And when asked about the risks of taking a baby into the great outdoors, she says Hamish's safety takes priority over everything else.

From BBC

What else is bugging investors about AI?

From Barron's

We have a huge advantage as we build LLMs that we have content no one else has, so I believe our information business is actually protected.

From Barron's

The band were in the top five most-played acts on both Spotify and YouTube in both Edinburgh and Glasgow - higher than anywhere else, including their home city of Manchester.

From BBC

None of his songs made the top 20 anywhere else.

From BBC