Definitions for Unless
ʌnˈlɛs, ən-Unless

Wiktionary(3.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. unlessconjunction

   Except on a specified condition; if not.

   I'm leaving unless I get a pay rise.

2. Etymology: onlesse, from on lesse, from on a less condition (on became un-)

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Unlessconjunct.

   Except; if not; supposing that not.

   Let us not say, we keep the commandments of the one, when we break the commandments of the other: for, unless we observe both, we obey neither. Richard Hooker.

   Unless I look on Sylvia in the day,
   There is no day for me to look upon. William Shakespeare.

   What hidden strength,
   Unless the strength of heav’n, if you mean that. John Milton.

   For sure I am, unless I win in arms,
   To stand excluded from Emilia’s charms;
   Nor can my strength avail, unless by thee,
   Endu’d with force, I gain the victory. Dryden.

   The commendation of adversaries is the greatest triumph of a writer, because it never comes unless extorted. Dryden.

   No poet ever sweetly sung,
   Unless he were, like Phœbus, young;
   Nor ever nymph inspir’d to rhyme,
   Unless, like Venus, in her prime. Jonathan Swift.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Unless

   upon any less condition than (the fact or thing stated in the sentence or clause which follows); if not; supposing that not; if it be not; were it not that; except; as, we shall fail unless we are industrious

Freebase(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Unless

   Unless, first published by Fourth Estate, an imprint of Harper Collins in 2002, is the final novel by Canadian writer Carol Shields. Semi-autobiographical, it was the capstone to Shields's writing career: she died shortly after its publication in 2003. The work was widely acclaimed and nominated for the Booker Prize, the Giller Prize, the Governor General's Award, the Orange Prize for Fiction, and received the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. In 2011, it was a finalist in the Canada Reads competition, where it was defended by actor Lorne Cardinal. Like many of her works, Unless explores the extraordinary that lies within the ordinary lives of ordinary women. The novel is narrated in first person by 44-year old writer and translator, Reta Winters. The book proceeds as a linear series of reflections by Reta, elliptically coming to the thematic center of the story: the seemingly arbitrary decision of Reta's college-aged daughter Norah to drop out of university and live on the street with a cardboard sign affixed to her chest that reads "Goodness". Although the novel does not in any way proceed like a mystery, the reasons for Norah's departure from the normal world are Reta's primary motivation in writing. In parallel, her relationship with her French mentor drives much of her narration and view of herself.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Unless

   un-les′, conj. at or for less: if not: supposing that not: save, except. [Formerly on les, on lesse, in phrase on lesse that, in less than.]

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Unless' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #967

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Unless' in Written Corpus Frequency: #680

How to pronounce Unless?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say Unless in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Unless in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Unless in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of Unless in a Sentence

1. Lisa Collins:

   You can't get a verifiable list of anything unless nuclear weapons experts are part of the process, is President Trump going to create a list of all those facilities? Does he even know where some of these places are? I would be very skeptical.

2. M.K. Ataturk:

   Unless a nation's life faces peril, war is murder.''*“Victory is for those who can say "Victory is mine". Success is for those who can begin saying "I will succeed" and say "I have succeeded" in the end.

3. Lord Chesterfield, letter to his godson, December 18, 1765:

   Wit is so shining a quality that everybody admires it; most people aim at it, all people fear it, and few love it unless in themselves.

4. Soe Hlaing:

   Unless everyone can vote, I will not vote.

5. Hunter Biden:

   Not one single person with private insurance would lose their insurance under my plan, nor did they under Obamacare. They did not lose their insurance, unless they chose -- they wanted to go to something else.

Popularity rank by frequency of use