unless
conjunction
un·less
| \ ən-ˈles
, ˈən-ˌles\
, ˈən-ˌles\
Definition of unless
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: except on the condition that : under any other circumstance than
2
: without the accompanying circumstance or condition that : but that : but
unless
prepositionDefinition of unless (Entry 2 of 2)
: except possibly : except
Examples of unless in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition
Also, unless this becomes a matter for the court to decide in your divorce proceedings, how your ex divides his estate post-divorce is not your business. — Ask Amy, oregonlive, "Ask Amy: Girlfriend, ex are intimate even if -- and that’s a big ‘if’ -- it’s not physical," 2 Sep. 2019 Also, unless this becomes a matter for the court to decide in your divorce proceedings, how your ex divides his estate post-divorce is not your business. — Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, "Father leaves some sons less than others," 2 Sep. 2019 In some cases, unions have kept their distance unless workers first commit to becoming members. — Noam Scheiber, New York Times, "As Grass-Roots Labor Activism Rises, Will Unions Take Advantage?," 1 Sep. 2019 In 2016, the DoD Inspector General’s office recommended the Navy cancel the problem unless the problems were fixed. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Navy’s Mine-Hunting Drone Is Ready To Go," 27 Aug. 2019 Sterling is the most likely challenger for that playoff spot, unless HISD can get a second team in. — Jack Marrion, Houston Chronicle, "Ridge Point, Marshall football teams look to remain on top in district," 26 Aug. 2019 Today, experts say that any family – white or black – is hard-pressed to establish genealogical connections before 1800 unless their ancestors were rich, famous or criminals. — USA Today, "The founding family you’ve never heard of: The black Tuckers of Hampton, Virginia," 22 Aug. 2019 That suggests that unless Johnson backs down, a no-deal departure still looks like the most likely scenario. — Ian Wishart, Bloomberg.com, "Macron Pours Cold Water on Johnson’s Optimism Over Brexit Deal," 22 Aug. 2019 Addiction is a slippery condition, easy to overlook or deny unless a person is in full-blown meltdown. — Claudia Rowe, The Seattle Times, "‘Those were the darkest days’: How key budget cuts fueled Washington’s opioid crisis," 18 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unless.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for unless
unless
conjunction
English Language Learners Definition of unless
—used to say what will happen, be done, or be true if something else does not happen, is not done, or is not true
See the full definition for unless in the English Language Learners Dictionary
unless
conjunction
un·less
| \ ən-ˈles
\
\
Kids Definition of unless
: except on the condition that
You can't have dessert unless you finish your dinner.
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