Dictionary

unless en · CCONJ

Pronunciation

• /ɪnˈlɛs/ (US, nonstandard)
• /ʌnˈlɛs/
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ənˈlɛs/
• /ʊnˈlɛs/ (Northern-England)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English unlesse, earlier on lesse (modern on + less), from (not) on lesse (than) (“(not) on a less compelling condition (than)”). The quality of negation in the word and the lack of stress changed on to un-.

Meanings

1. Except on a specified condition; if not.
   • 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. 1839, Denison Olmsted, A Compendium of Astronomy, page 95:
   • Unless part of the staff, you are not allowed beyond this point.
   • You can't go out unless it stops raining.
   • Unless someone like you...cares a whole awful lot...nothing is going to get better...It's not. 1971, Dr. Seuss, The Lorax:
   • I’m leaving unless I get a pay rise.
2. If not; used with counterfactual conditionals.
   • 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. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Samuel 2:27:
   • Unless He were omnipotent, we could not be sure of His ability to bless us. 1867, William Robinson Pirie, Natural Theology: An Inquiry Into the Fundamental Principles of Religious, Moral, and Political Science, page 75 (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? 1159, John of Salisbury, Policraticus, edited by Cary J. Nederman, Cambridge University Press, 1990, page 3 (Google Books view)
3. Except if; used with hypothetical conditionals.
   • 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). 1981, Arthur C. Danto, The Transfiguration of the Commonplace: A Philosophy of Art, page 118 (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. 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)
   • 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! 1847, Emily Brontë, chapter III, in Wuthering Heights:

Forms

Antonyms

if (antonym(s) of “except on a condition”)

Deriveds

unlesss · until and unless · precisely unless · unless and until

Translations (100)

hi जब तक (except on a specified condition) · hu hacsak nem (except on a specified condition) · mt kemm-il darba (except on a specified condition) · si නම් මිස (except on a specified condition) · ca llevat que (except on a specified condition) · pt a não ser que (except on a specified condition) · ga mura (except on a specified condition) · az əgər (except on a specified condition) · de es sei denn (except on a specified condition) · yue 除非 (except on a specified condition) · is nema (except on a specified condition) · he אלא אם כן (except on a specified condition) · ko ...이 아니면 (except on a specified condition) · pl chyba że (except on a specified condition) · ca a menys que (except on a specified condition) · my မဟုတ်လျှင် (except on a specified condition) · pt a menos que (except on a specified condition) · hu csak ha (except on a specified condition) · nb med mindre (except on a specified condition) · ckb مەگەر (except on a specified condition) · sga mani (except on a specified condition) · haw ke ole (except on a specified condition) · fo uttan (except on a specified condition) · ar إِلَّا (except on a specified condition) · sq po të mos (except on a specified condition) · mi māna (except on a specified condition) · grc εἰ μή (except on a specified condition) · th จนกว่า (except on a specified condition) · bg освен ако (except on a specified condition) · ja もし...でなければ (except on a specified condition) · fi jollei (except on a specified condition) · sh ako ne (except on a specified condition) · sv om inte (except on a specified condition) · te తప్ప (except on a specified condition) · af tensy (except on a specified condition) · ca tret que (except on a specified condition) · fr à moins que (except on a specified condition) · fa مگر اینکه (except on a specified condition) · am በስተቀር (except on a specified condition) · bn না হলে (except on a specified condition) · da undtagen (except on a specified condition) · et kui ei (except on a specified condition) · es salvo (except on a specified condition) · el παρά μόνο αν (except on a specified condition) · da medmindre (except on a specified condition) · yi סײַדן (except on a specified condition) · hy եթե չ- (except on a specified condition) · nn minders (except on a specified condition) · sl razen če (except on a specified condition) · la nisi (except on a specified condition) · mn үгүй бол (except on a specified condition) · cy oni (except on a specified condition) · it a meno che (except on a specified condition) · cs dokud ne (except on a specified condition) · fr sauf si (except on a specified condition) · sv såvida inte (except on a specified condition) · vi trừ khi (except on a specified condition) · syc ܐܠܐ (except on a specified condition) · eo kondiĉe ke ... ne (except on a specified condition) · nl tenzij (except on a specified condition) · km លុះត្រាតែ (except on a specified condition) · no hvis ikke (except on a specified condition) · uk хіба що (except on a specified condition) · eo krom se (except on a specified condition) · es a menos que (except on a specified condition) · non nema (except on a specified condition) · tt мәгәр (except on a specified condition) · ta தவிர (except on a specified condition) · nn minder (except on a specified condition) · fi ellei (except on a specified condition) · it se non (except on a specified condition) · ca fora que (except on a specified condition) · zdj illa (except on a specified condition) · gu જ્યાં સુધી (except on a specified condition) · tr -mezse (except on a specified condition) · ms melainkan (except on a specified condition) · cmn 除非 (except on a specified condition) · ru ра́зве что (except on a specified condition) · vi trừ phi (except on a specified condition) · el εκτός αν (except on a specified condition) · th เว้นแต่ (except on a specified condition) · ps پرته لدې چې (except on a specified condition) · oc mens que (except on a specified condition) · nn med mindre (except on a specified condition) · be калі́ не (except on a specified condition) · rw keretse (except on a specified condition) · ka თუ არ (except on a specified condition) · he אלמלא (except on a specified condition) · es como no (except on a specified condition) · es a no ser que (except on a specified condition) · id kecuali (except on a specified condition) · ro cu excepția cazului în (except on a specified condition) · sh ukoliko ne (except on a specified condition) · ru е́сли не (except on a specified condition) · sh osim ako (except on a specified condition) · ang būtan (except on a specified condition) · ml അല്ലാതെ (except on a specified condition) · eu salbu (except on a specified condition) · uk якщо́ не (except on a specified condition) · hu kivéve ha (except on a specified condition)