unless

unless

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of unless in English

English Online Dictionary. What means unless‎? What does unless mean?

English

Alternative forms

  • unlesse (obsolete)
  • unlessen

Etymology

onlesse, from on lesse, from "on a less condition".

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ənˈlɛs/, /ʌnˈlɛs/
  • Rhymes: -ɛs

Conjunction

unless

  1. Except on a specified condition; if not.
    I’m leaving unless I get a pay rise.
    You can't go out unless it stops raining.
  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.
    • 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

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This article based on an article on Wiktionary. The list of authors can be seen in the page history there. The original work has been modified. This article is distributed under the terms of this license.