otherwise
Americanadverb
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under other circumstances.
Otherwise they may get broken.
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in another manner; differently.
Under the circumstances, I can't believe otherwise.
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in other respects.
an otherwise happy life.
conjunction
adjective
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other or different; of another nature or kind.
We hoped his behavior would be otherwise.
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in other or different circumstances.
An otherwise pleasure had become a grinding chore.
adverb
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differently
I wouldn't have thought otherwise
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in other respects
an otherwise hopeless situation
adjective
pronoun
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They can move into homes that they otherwise might not be able to buy at current prices, or they can sell them and keep the proceeds without having to pay capital-gains taxes.
For years, researchers studying the Southern Ocean have pointed to one possible upside in an otherwise troubling climate outlook.
From Science Daily
People who meet Reese in his brightly colored paraphernalia could be forgiven for thinking otherwise.
The students are bringing a measure of cohesion to what has otherwise been a spontaneous movement fueled by frustration over a crumbling economy.
The higher unsprung mass also makes the ride quality a bit more tympanic than otherwise.
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.
