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ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Unless

/ənˈlɛs/ · conjunction

Meaning

Except on a specified condition; if not..

Definitions by Sense

  1. Except on a specified condition; if not.
  2. If not; used with counterfactual conditionals.
  3. Except if; used with hypothetical conditionals.

Example Sentences

I’m leaving unless I get a pay rise.
You can't go out unless it stops raining.
Unless part of the staff, you are not allowed beyond this point.
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.
Unless someone like you...cares a whole awful lot...nothing is going to get better...It's not.
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?
Unless He were omnipotent, we could not be sure of His ability to bless us.
And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.

Synonyms for unless

Antonyms for unless

Related Words

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

Practice and Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

What does unless mean?

Unless means Except on a specified condition; if not..

What is a synonym for unless?

The closest synonym depends on the sentence and intended sense.

What is the opposite of unless?

Possible antonyms include if.

How do you use unless in a sentence?

I’m leaving unless I get a pay rise.

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.