other

[ uhth -er ]

/ ˈʌð ər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR other ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

additional or further: he and one other person.

different or distinct from the one or ones already mentioned or implied: I'd like to live in some other city. The TV show follows the lives of people who are married, single, or other. The application gives three gender choices—male, female, and other.

different in nature or kind: I would not have him other than he is.

being the remaining one of two or more: the other hand.

(used with plural nouns) being the remaining ones of a number: the other men; some other countries.

former; earlier: sailing ships of other days.

not long past: the other night.

noun

the other one: Each praises the other.

(often initial capital letter) the other,

a group or member of a group that is perceived as different, foreign, strange, etc.: Prejudice comes from fear of the other.
a person or thing that is the counterpart of someone or something else: the role of the Other in the development of self.

pronoun

Usually others. other persons or things: others in the medical profession.

some person or thing else: Surely some friend or other will help me.

adverb

otherwise; differently (usually followed by than): We can't collect the rent other than by suing the tenant.

verb (used with object)

to perceive or treat (a group or member of a group) as different, foreign, strange, etc.: Female murderers are othered by characterizing them as psychological oddities.

Nearby words

Idioms

every other, every alternate: a meeting every other week.

Origin of other

before 900; Middle English; Old English ōther (pronoun, adj., and noun); cognate with German ander, Gothic anthar; akin to Sanskrit antara-

every

[ ev-ree ]

/ ˈɛv ri /

adjective

being one of a group or series taken collectively; each: We go there every day.

all possible; the greatest possible degree of: every prospect of success.

Origin of every

1125–75; Middle English every, everich, Old English ǣfre ǣlc ever each

Synonym study

1. See each.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for every other

every

/ (ˈɛvrɪ) /

determiner

each one (of the class specified), without exceptionevery child knows it

(not used with a negative) the greatest or best possibleevery hope of success

each: used before a noun phrase to indicate the recurrent, intermittent, or serial nature of a thingevery third day; every now and then; every so often

every bit (used in comparisons with as) quite; just; equallyevery bit as funny as the other show

every other each alternate; every secondevery other day

every which way

in all directions; everywhereI looked every which way for you
US and Canadianfrom all sidesstones coming at me every which way

Word Origin for every

C15 everich, from Old English ǣfre ǣlc, from ǣfre ever + ǣlc each

other

/ (ˈʌðə) /

determiner

(when used before a singular noun, usually preceded by the)the remaining (one or ones in a group of which one or some have been specified)I'll read the other sections of the paper later
the other(as pronoun; functioning as sing)one walks while the other rides

(a) different (one or ones from that or those already specified or understood)he found some other house; no other man but you; other days were happier

additional; furtherthere are no other possibilities

(preceded by every) alternate; twoit buzzes every other minute

other than

apart from; besidesa lady other than his wife
different fromhe couldn't be other than what he is Archaic form: other from

no other archaic nothing elseI can do no other

or other (preceded by a phrase or word with some) used to add vagueness to the preceding pronoun, noun, noun phrase, or adverbsome dog or other bit him; he's somewhere or other

other things being equal conditions being the same or unchanged

the other day a few days ago

the other thing an unexpressed alternative

pronoun

anothershow me one other

(plural) additional or further onesthe police have found two and are looking for others

(plural) other people or things

the others the remaining ones (of a group)take these and leave the others

(plural) different ones (from those specified or understood)they'd rather have others, not these See also each other, one another

adverb

(usually used with a negative and foll by than) otherwise; differentlythey couldn't behave other than they do

Word Origin for other

Old English ōther; related to Old Saxon āthar, ōthar, Old High German andar

xref

See otherwise

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for every other

every

adj.

early 13c., contraction of Old English æfre ælc "each of a group," literally "ever each" (Chaucer's everich), from each with ever added for emphasis, as the word is still felt to need emphasis (e.g. Modern English every last ..., every single ..., etc.).

Cf. everybody, everything, etc. The word everywhen is attested from 1843 but never caught on; neither did everyhow (1837). Slang phrase every Tom, Dick, and Harry dates from at least 1734, from common English given names.

other

adj.

Old English oþer "the second" (adj.), also as a pronoun, "one of the two, other," from Proto-Germanic *antharaz (cf. Old Saxon athar, Old Frisian other, Old Norse annarr, Middle Dutch and Dutch ander, Old High German andar, German ander, Gothic anþar "other").

These are from PIE *an-tero-, variant of *al-tero- "the other of two" (cf. Lithuanian antras, Sanskrit antarah "other, foreign," Latin alter), from root *al- "beyond" (see alias) + adjectival comparative suffix *-tero-. The Old English, Old Saxon, and Old Frisian forms show "a normal loss of n before fricatives" [Barnhart]. Meaning "different" is mid-13c.

Sense of "second" was detached from this word in English (which uses second, from Latin) and German (zweiter, from zwei "two") to avoid ambiguity. In Scandinavian, however, the second floor is still the "other" floor (e.g. Swedish andra, Danish anden). Also cf. Old English oþergeara "next year."

The other woman "a woman with whom a man begins a love affair while he is already committed" is from 1855. The other day originally (mid-12c.) was "the next day;" later (c.1300) "yesterday;" and now, loosely, "a day or two ago" (early 15c.). Phrase other half in reference to either the poor or the rich, is recorded from c.1600.

La moitié du monde ne sçayt comment l'aultre vit. [Rabelais, "Pantagruel," 1532]

Idioms and Phrases with every other

every other

Every second one in a series, as in I'm supposed to take this pill every other day. [c. 1400]

every

In addition to the idioms beginning with every

every bit
every cloud has a silver lining
every dog has its day
every inch
every last one
every little bit helps
every man for himself
every man has his price
every minute counts
every nook and cranny
every now and then
every other
every single one
every so often
every time one turns around
every Tom, Dick, and Harry
every which way

also see:

at every turn
each and every
finger in the (every) pie
living soul, every
nook and cranny, every

other

In addition to the idioms beginning with other

other day, the
other fish to fry
other good fish in the sea
other side of the coin
other side of the tracks
other than
other things being equal
other way round, the

also see:

at each other's throats
do unto others
each other
every other
in one ear and out the other
in someone's pocket (live in each other's pockets)
in other words
laugh out of the other side of one's mouth
look the other way
made for (each other)
none other than
on the one (the other) hand
or other
right (other) side of the tracks
shoe is on the other foot
six of one, half a dozen of the other
the other day
this and that (and the other)
turn the other cheek
wait for the other shoe to drop

other

adjective

noun

pronoun

adverb

verb (used with object)

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Origin of other

every

adjective

Origin of every

Synonym study

every

determiner

Word Origin for every

other

determiner

pronoun

adverb

Word Origin for other

xref

every

other

every other

every

other