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

“Now having said that, if I’m honest I don’t know what else the cameras are doing,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

The truth is that Hamilton - and anyone else - will never know, because there was no direct comparison between his pace and Max Verstappen's in similar conditions.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

The most promising route for Oura, and for other wellness startups such as Whoop, is to get someone else to pay.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

I think it must be so important, so very important, because states have gone all out to try to maintain an execution method that looks like something else.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026

There’s no one else out there except a few kids playing football.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold