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.

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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

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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

It is one reason why those interviews are often more scratchy and have more interruptions than they might otherwise have.

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026

But she is surely right that his wealth and “social standing gave the radicals a legitimacy they would not otherwise have had.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

You have to practice every single day, otherwise it sends you a bill.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026

If that amount was invested in an index fund that grows by an average of 8%, in five years they would have nearly $400 in pretax funds that they would not have otherwise had.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026

He rubbed the fresh bump at the top of his skull and winced, but he seemed otherwise unharmed.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood