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otherness

American  
[uhth-er-nis] / ˈʌð ər nɪs /

noun

  1. the state or fact of being different or distinct.

  2. the quality or state of being perceived or treated as different, foreign, strange, etc..

    Certain ethnic groups embrace their otherness.
otherness British  
/ ˈʌðənɪs /

noun

  1. the quality of being different or distinct in appearance, character, etc

"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

Etymology

Origin of otherness

First recorded in 1580–90; other + -ness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Let's keep celebrating the otherness," she said during her acceptance speech.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

The withholding nature of Chernin’s Leo poses some theatrical risks but goes a long way toward explaining how the character’s otherness could be turned against him in such a malignant way.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2025

Penfolds refers to these blends as "wine of the world", and says that they "possess an otherness that can best be described as worldly".

From BBC • Jan. 24, 2025

Amidst current events, what's really solidified my identity as a Jew is a sense of otherness and separateness from the rest of the community — a feeling that I’ve experienced for most of my life.

From Salon • Oct. 16, 2023

And her English, her immigrant English, has a touch of otherness that makes it unintentionally prerise.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.