otherwise

American  

[uhth-er-wahyz] / ˈʌð ərˌwaɪz /

adverb

1. under other circumstances.

   Otherwise they may get broken.

2. in another manner; differently.

   Under the circumstances, I can't believe otherwise.

3. in other respects.

   an otherwise happy life.

---

conjunction

1. or else; if not.

   Button up your overcoat, otherwise you'll catch cold.

adjective

1. other or different; of another nature or kind.

   We hoped his behavior would be otherwise.

2. in other or different circumstances.

   An otherwise pleasure had become a grinding chore.

otherwise British  

/ ˈʌðəˌwaɪz /

1. or else; if not, then

   go home — otherwise your mother will worry

---

adverb

1. differently

   I wouldn't have thought otherwise

2. in other respects

   an otherwise hopeless situation

adjective

1. (predicative) of an unexpected nature; different

   the facts are otherwise

pronoun

1. something different in outcome

   success or otherwise

Usage

The expression otherwise than means in any other way than and should not be followed by an adjective: no-one taught by this method can be other than (not otherwise than ) successful; you are not allowed to use the building otherwise than as a private dwelling

Etymology

Origin of otherwise

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English (on) ōthre wīsan “(in) another manner”; equivalent to other + -wise

Example Sentences

Otherwise, the pressure is on them to show the returns are worth the pain.

From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026

Otherwise, if your portfolio is too concentrated in your company’s stock and it has a bad quarter, you could potentially see your stock holdings fall and lose your job if there are layoffs.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 23, 2026

Otherwise, they wrote in an email, “there will always be some risk of contamination.”

From Salon • Jun. 22, 2026

Otherwise, public schools would be forced to leave children in ignorance of a large swath of the Western tradition: David and Goliath?

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026

“You need long ones for the wall and grabbers for the door. Otherwise, it’ll bust right off.”

From "Educated" by Tara Westover