Definitions for unless
ʌnˈlɛs, ən-un·less

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. Jane Austen:

   One does not love a place the less for having suffered in it unless it has all been suffering, nothing but suffering.

2. Jill Tarter:

   There really is no Planet B for us, unless we figure out a way to solve all of the global issues that we face here and mitigate those challenges, wherever we go we'll create the same problems that we've done here on this planet. There's no escape hatch.

3. Scott Larimer:

   It's more than Northern, we've met with Sandy Hook victims and others. We have a connection that, unless you've been through it, no one could understand.

4. Bill Gross:

   The real market and the real economy await a different conclusion as losses from negative rates result in capital losses, not capital gains, investors cannot make money when money yields nothing. Unless... nominal GDP can be raised to levels that allow central banks to normalize short-term interest rates, then south instead of north is the logical direction for markets.

5. President Biden:

   He explicitly threatened war unless his extreme demands were met, and there is no question that Russia is the aggressor, so, we’re clear-eyed about the challenges we’re facing.

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