Word.ws English Dictionary

How to use otherwise in a sentence

40 example sentences · adverb, adjective

Otherwise means differently, in another way. Example: “You may have a point, but I think otherwise.”

Examples of otherwise by meaning

adverbDifferently, in another way.

  • You may have a point, but I think otherwise.
  • Do you want the newest items put up top, or do you want it done otherwise?
  • Could I do otherwise than smile?

adverbIn different circumstances; or else.

  • I’m not well today, otherwise I would have helped.
  • You have to open your umbrella, otherwise you'll get wet.

adverbIn all other respects; apart from that; except for this.

  • He lost his temper once in a while. Otherwise he behaved rationally.
  • There was one rotten apple in an otherwise perfect batch.
  • Otherwise my college education was almost useless.1977 December 10, Mark N. Silber, “Gays On Campus — One Story”, in Gay Community News, volume 5, number 23, page 9

adjectiveOther than supposed; different.

  • He said he didn’t do it, but the evidence was otherwise.
  • Statistics need lots of information, digital and otherwise.

More sentences with otherwise

  • Most of the men are retired, jobless, or have otherwise temporarily absented themselves from the workplace.From the entry absent
  • They were discounted because they contained blemishes, nicks or were otherwise factory seconds.From the entry second
  • They make beef stock from the butchery scraps that they otherwise might not have used.From the entry stock
  • She's been chained to her principles since she was 18, it's unlikely you can convince her otherwise.From the entry chain
  • Humankind relies on technology to keep average standard of living higher than it would otherwise be.From the entry technology
  • The old silver lends an air of elegance to an otherwise drab room.From the entry lend
  • Make sure you put the milk back in the fridge; otherwise it will spoil.From the entry spoil
  • She has a gift for sugaring what would otherwise be harsh words.From the entry sugar
  • His journal provides a rare window into his otherwise obscure life.From the entry window
  • The Princess brought grace to an otherwise dull and boring party.From the entry grace
  • Don't park your car here overnight, otherwise it will be stripped by morning.From the entry strip
  • A slight valve tap was audible at idle but was not noticeable otherwise.From the entry idle
  • If not otherwise specified, "the" exponential function is normally understood to mean eˣ.From the entry exponential
  • I only wear high heels on formal occasions; otherwise, I prefer sensible shoes.From the entry sensible
  • You need to follow the instructions carefully; otherwise, the project may not turn out.From the entry -wise
  • Well, I messed up my solo, but otherwise it was a good concert.From the entry mess up
  • The streets around Union Square form a Protestant enclave within an otherwise Catholic neighbourhood.From the entry enclave
  • It's surrounded by beautiful wilderness, but otherwise it's just a one-horse town.From the entry one-horse town
  • It was a regrettable lapse by a person of otherwise exemplary character.From the entry lapse
  • He was labeled as a racist for his otherwise innocent remark.From the entry labeled
  • The assets must equal liabilities, otherwise there is an error in your balance sheet.From the entry assets
  • If you have cornstarch on hand, use it; otherwise, try a little flour.From the entry on hand
  • Sometimes cut-rate airfares are available because the seat would otherwise go empty.From the entry cut-rate
  • There was a moment of ecchi for comic relief in the otherwise serious story.From the entry ecchi
  • The provisory clause effectively excluded his otherwise logical heirs from his main inheritance.From the entry provisory
  • Unless otherwise mentioned, 25 ml of throat paint is to be prepared.From the entry throat paint
  • Tabooistic modifications to names of animals are common in animistic or otherwise highly superstitious cultures.From the entry tabooistic
  • Her optimism seemed to leaven the otherwise tense environment.From the entry leaven
  • Some sort of renal pathology was suspected, but imaging and even biopsy found no discernible pathology, glomerular or otherwise.From the entry pathology
  • When not otherwise noted, "zero" will mean "positive zero" here.From the entry positive zero

Meaning of otherwise

  1. adverb Differently, in another way.
  2. adverb In different circumstances; or else.
  3. adverb In all other respects; apart from that; except for this.

Full definition of otherwise

Questions about otherwise in a sentence

How do you use otherwise in a sentence?
Otherwise is used as an adverb and adjective. For example: “You may have a point, but I think otherwise.”
What is a short sentence with otherwise?
“Could I do otherwise than smile?”
What does otherwise mean?
Otherwise means differently, in another way.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: otherwise (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “How to use otherwise in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/otherwise. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.