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Unless vs Else - What's the difference?

unless | else |

As a conjunction unless

is except on a specified condition; if not.

As a proper noun else is

.

unless

English

Alternative forms

* unlesse (obsolete)

Conjunction

(English Conjunctions)
  • Except on a specified condition; if not.
    • I’m leaving unless I get a pay rise (AmE: raise).
  • *
  • * 1839 , Denison Olmsted, A Compendium of Astronomy Page 95
    • Secondly, When a body is once in motion it will continue to move forever, unless something stops it. When a ball is struck on the surface of the earth, the friction of the earth and the resistance of the air soon stop its motion.

    Antonyms

    * (except on a condition) if

    Derived terms

    * precisely unless * unlesss * unless and until, until and unless

    Statistics

    *

    else

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Other; in addition to previously mentioned items.
    • Can anyone else (=any other person) help me?
    What else (=what other thing) is there?

    Usage notes

    * This adjective usually follows an indefinite or interrogative pronoun, as in the examples above. In other cases, the adjective (other) is typically used.

    Derived terms

    * anybody else * anyone else * anyplace else * anything else * anywhere else * elsewhere * elsewhither * everybody else * everyone else * everyplace else * everything else * everwhere else * nobody else * no one else * no place else * nothing else * nowhere else * something else * somewhere else * what else is new

    Adverb

    (-)
  • Otherwise, if not.
    • How else (=in what other way) can it be done?
    I'm busy Friday; when else (=what other time) works for you?

    Usage notes

    * (otherwise) This word frequently follows interrogative adverbs, such as (how), (why), and (when), as well as the derived (however), (why ever), and (whenever).

    Synonyms

    * otherwise

    Derived terms

    * or else

    Conjunction

    (English Conjunctions)
  • For otherwise; or else.
    • Then the Wronskian of ''f'' and ''g'' must be nonzero, else they could not be linearly independent.
  • (computing, in many programming languages and pseudocode) but if the condition of the previous (if) clause is false, do the following.
    • if (edits.Count == 0) { NoEditsLabel.Visible = true; }
    else { EditHistory.Show(edits); }

    See also

    * and * if * not * or * then

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * (l), (l), (l), (l), (l) 1000 English basic words ----