otherwise
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otherwise
- /ˈʌð.əˌwaɪz/ UK
- /ˈʌð.ɚˌwaɪz/ US
Where it comes from
From Middle English otherwise, othre wise, from Old English on ōþre wīsan (literally “in (on) other/different manner”); equivalent to other + -wise. Compare West Frisian yn oarwei (“otherwise”), Icelandic öðruvísi (“different”).
adverb
-
Differently, in another way.
Near-synonyms: contrarily, contrastingly
Similar: elsewise, contrarily, contrastingly · Opposite: likewise, thuswise, nohow, in no way, not at all, by no means
-
In different circumstances; or else.
I’m not well today, otherwise I would have helped.
Similar: elsewise
-
In all other respects; apart from that; except for this.
He lost his temper once in a while. Otherwise he behaved rationally.
Similar: elsewise
adjective
- Other than supposed; different. He said he didn’t do it, but the evidence was otherwise.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: differently, other, others, else, however, anyway, alternatively, elsewhere, furthermore, besides, also, moreover, additionally, meanwhile, because, different
Translations
Every language
adv differently, in another way
| Español | de otra manera, otramente |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 違う様に chigau yō ni, そうではないと sō de wa nai to, その他に sono hoka ni, その他 sono hoka |
| 中文 | 反之 fǎnzhī |
| हिन्दी | नहीं तो nahī̃ to, अन्यथा anyathā |
| Português | diferente, diferentemente, de outra forma/maneira, de outro jeito/modo |
| Français | autrement, différemment, ou alors, ou bien, ni non plus |
| Deutsch | anders |
| Italiano | altrimenti, differentemente |
| Ελληνικά | αλλιώς alliós |
| Română | altfel |
| Русский | ина́че ináče, и́наче ínače |
| العربية | خِلَافَ ḵilāfa, خِلَافَ ذَلِك ḵilāfa ḏalik, عَكْسَ ذَلِك ʕaksa ḏalik |
| עברית | אַחֶרֶת aẖéret |
adv under different circumstances
| Español | de lo contrario, otramente |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 然も無くば samonakuba |
| 中文 | 否則 /否则 fǒuzé |
| हिन्दी | वरना varnā |
| Português | senão |
| Français | sinon, autrement, sans quoi |
| Deutsch | ansonsten, sonst, andernfalls |
| Italiano | altrimenti, in altre circostanze |
| Ελληνικά | ειδάλλως eidállos |
| Română | altfel |
| Русский | ина́че ináče, и́наче ínače |
| Tiếng Việt | bằng không |
| العربية | وَإِلَّا waʔillā |
| עברית | אַחֶרֶת aẖéret |
adv in all other respects
| Español | por lo demás, por otra parte, aparte de esto, fuera de eso, otramente |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | その他は sono-hoka, 他の点では hoka-no ten-dewa |
| 中文 | 除此以外 chúcǐyǐwài, 除此之外 chúcǐzhīwài |
| हिन्दी | वरना varnā |
| Português | fora isso, no mais |
| Français | sinon, pour le reste, à part ça |
| Deutsch | ansonsten, sonst |
| Italiano | tuttavia, per altri aspetti, a parte ciò |
| Русский | впро́чем vpróčem, в други́х отноше́ниях v drugíx otnošénijax |
| العربية | عَكْس ذٰلِك ʕaks ḏālik |
adj other than supposed
| 中文 | 矛盾的 máodùn de |
|---|---|
| Português | contrário, em contrário |
| Français | tout autre, bien différent |
Talk about this word "otherwise." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/otherwise. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. otherwise. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/otherwise "otherwise." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/otherwise.Cite this
@misc{otherwise_2026,
title = {otherwise},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/otherwise},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
