unless
except if; if not
How often you will meet it
Rank 853 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 21,480 times across 155,139 chapters — 0.010% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 1,000 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
conjunction
- except if; if not
unless in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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Unless they could demolish the detective's theory he, Bobby Blackburn, would go to the death house.
The Abandoned Room · Wadsworth Camp · Chapter 1
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I commonly lay in the tent, unless the weather was rainy that I could not lie dry.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures · Daniel Defoe · Chapter 1
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This spot is also difficult to reach, unless the bear stands off, side towards you, like a target.
In the Wilderness · Charles Dudley Warner · Chapter 1
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It contains another, which I beg you to preserve carefully, and not to open unless I do not return.
Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1
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Then she said she would not sell it unless she was granted one favour--namely, to sleep by the Prince’s door.
The Yellow Fairy Book: The Grateful Beasts · World Traditions (Celtic, Norse, Asian & Persian) · Chapter 1