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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

else

When pulled off successfully, the power of silence raises the volume on everything else that matters.

From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026

She is correct: Losing workplace health insurance qualifies your friend, or anyone else in a similar position, for a special enrollment period on HealthCare.gov.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026

It is an unusually long tenure that has already made him a billionaire, but the 54-year-old isn’t looking to do anything else right now.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

"It's not because of any policy disagreements. I'm a massive fan of the focus on devolution and I hope Andy and his team will be bold on this and everything else."

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Afraid he would say, “There’ll be someone else soon,” and that forever afterward this untruth would lie between us.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom