UNLESS Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for

unless

[ uhn-les, uhn- ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

conjunction

except under the circumstances that:
I'll be there at nine, unless the train is late.

preposition

except; but; save:
Nothing will come of it, unless disaster.

unless

/ ʌ��ˈ��ɛ�� /

conjunction

subordinating except under the circumstances that; except on the condition that
they'll sell it unless he hears otherwise

preposition

rare.
except

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of unless¹

1400–50; late ME prepositional phrase on less (also o less(e) , earlier upon less ) on a lesser footing or condition (than); first used as a preposition and conjunction in the early 16th century; on, less

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of unless¹

C14: onlesse , from on on + lesse less ; compare French à moins que, literally: at less than

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“I don’t think the women tennis players could have done what we did back in the ’70s unless we had history to draw on....

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People who do want to swim in the city's waterways are advised not to do so in open water unless it is part of a supervised and safe environment and not to enter the water if they have taken drugs or alcohol.

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"When I was at the steelworks on Friday, I was told that unless they could place another order for iron ore pellets this week then it'll be too late," he said.

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In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, the US president said he will introduce the extra tariff unless China withdraws its own 34% counter-tariff on American goods, which it announced on Friday.

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Trade Representative Peter Navarro, meanwhile, told Fox News that you can't lose money unless you sell and that we are going to have the greatest boom in the stock market in history.

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