different between unless vs else

English

Alternative forms

• unlesse (obsolete)
• unlessen

Etymology

onlesse, from on lesse, from "on a less condition" ("on" became un-).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?l?s/, /?n?l?s/, /?n?l?s/
• Rhymes: -?s

Conjunction

unless

1. 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.
2. If not; used with counterfactual conditionals.
   • 1159, John of Salisbury, Policraticus, edited by Cary J. Nederman, Cambridge University Press, 1990, page 3 (Google Books view):

     Who would know of Alexander or Caesar, or would respect the Stoics or the Peripatetics, unless they had been distinguished by the memorials of writers?

   • 1867, William Robinson Pirie, Natural Theology: An Inquiry Into the Fundamental Principles of Religious, Moral, and Political Science, page 75 (Google Books view):

     Unless He were omnipotent, we could not be sure of His ability to bless us.

3. Except if; used with hypothetical conditionals.
   • 1809, The Naval Chronicle for 1809: Containing a General and Biographical History of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom with a Variety of Original Papers on Nautical Subjects. Vol. XXII. (from July to December), Cambridge University Press, 2010, page 482 (Google Books view):

     Q. If Lieutenant P. had given the word "Fire," would you have fired, and at what?—A. I should not have known, unless he had told me what to fire at.

   • 1847, Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, Chapter III

     Lie down and finish out the night, since you are here; but, for heaven's sake! don't repeat that horrid noise: nothing could excuse it, unless you were having your throat cut!

   • 1981, Arthur C. Danto, The Transfiguration of the Commonplace: A Philosophy of Art, page 118 (Google Books view):

     Suppose Breugel had done the whole painting with no legs. Then, titled as it is, it would be mystifying, unless someone were to say: the boy has fallen in the waters and they have closed over him, calm is restored, life goes on (as in The Israelites Crossing the Red Sea).

Antonyms

• (except on a condition): if

Derived terms

• precisely unless
• unlesss
• unless and until, until and unless

Translations

English

Etymology

From Middle English ells, elles, from Old English elles (“other, otherwise, different”), from Proto-West Germanic *alljas, from Proto-Germanic *aljas (“of another, of something else”), genitive of *aljaz (“other”), from Proto-Indo-European *h?élyos, from *h?el- (“other”).

Cognate with Old Frisian elles (“other”), Old High German elles, ellies (“other”), Danish eller (“or”), Danish ellers (“otherwise”), Swedish eljes, eljest (“or else, otherwise”), Norwegian elles (“else, otherwise”), Gothic ???????????????????? (aljis, “other”), Latin alius (“other, another”), Ancient Greek ????? (állos), Arcadocypriot ????? (aîlos), modern Greek ?????? (alliós, “otherwise, else”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA^(key): /?ls/
• (colloquial) IPA^(key): /?lts/
• Rhymes: -?ls

Adjective

else (not comparable)

1. (postpositive, used only with indefinite or interrogative pronouns) Other; in addition to previously mentioned items.

   The instructor is busy. Can anyone else help me?

   • c. 1610-11, William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act I scene ii^[1]:

     Prospero:

     Thou hast done well, fine Ariel. Follow me;

     Hark what thou else shalt do me.

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

Translations

Adverb

else (not comparable)

1. (follows interrogative adverbs) 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, whyever, and whenever.

Synonyms

• otherwise

Derived terms

• or else

Translations

Conjunction

else

1. For otherwise; or else.

   Then the Wronskian of f and g must be nonzero, else they could not be linearly independent.

   • 1903, Jack London, The Call of the Wild, Grosset & Dunlap, page 44:

     […] and his first experience taught him an unforgetable lesson. It is true, it was a vicarious experience, else he would not have lived to profit by it.

Translations

See also

• and
• if
• not
• or
• then

Anagrams

• EELS, ELEs, Lees, Slee, eels, l'ees, lees, lese, seel, sele

Italian

Noun

else f

1. plural of elsa

Anagrams

• lese