unless
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un·less
(ŭn-lĕs′)conj.
Except on the condition that; except under the circumstances that: "Exceptional talent does not always win its reward unless favored by exceptional circumstances" (Mary Elizabeth Braddon).
prep.
Except for; except.
[Middle English unlesse, alteration (influenced by un-, not) of onlesse : on, on; see on + lesse, less; see less.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
unless
(ʌnˈlɛs)conj
(subordinating) except under the circumstances that; except on the condition that: they'll sell it unless he hears otherwise.
prep
rare except
[C14: onlesse, from on on + lesse less; compare French à moins que, literally: at less than]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
un•less
(ʌnˈlɛs, ən-)conj.
1. except under the circumstances that: We'll be there at nine, unless the train is late.
prep. 2. except; but; save: Nothing will come of it, unless disaster.
[1400–50; late Middle English preposition phrase on less,o less(e), earlier upon less on a lesser footing (than)]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
unless
You usually use unless to say that something can only happen or be true in particular circumstances. For example, instead of saying 'I will go to France only if the firm pays my expenses', you can say 'I will not go to France unless the firm pays my expenses'. When you are talking about the future, you use the present simple after unless.
We cannot understand disease unless we understand the person who has the disease.
When you are talking about a situation in the past, you use the past simple after unless.
She wouldn't go with him unless I came too.
Be Careful!
Don't use a future form after unless. Don't say, for example, 'I will not go to France unless the firm will pay my expenses'.
You also use unless to mention the only circumstances in which something will not happen or be true. For example, instead of saying 'If we are not told to stop, we will carry on selling the furniture', you can say 'We will carry on selling the furniture unless we are told to stop'.
The mail will go by air unless it is quicker by other means.
We might as well stop unless you've got something else you want to talk about.
Be Careful!
Don't use 'unless' to say that something would happen or be true if particular circumstances did not exist. For example, if you have a cold, don't say 'I would go to the party unless I had this cold'. You say 'I would go to the party if I didn't have this cold'.
She'd be pretty if she didn't wear so much make-up.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
Translations
إلا إذاإِلاّ إِذاإذا لَم، ما لَم
pokud nepokutnés výjimkouže
med mindremedmindre
elleijollei
osim ako
hacsak nemkivéve ha
kecuali
nemanema, nema òví aîeins
もし･･･でなければ
...이 아니면
išskyrus kaijei nenebent
ja vien... neja... ne
ak ne-pokiaľ ne-s výnimkou, že
razen če
om inte
นอกจาก
trừ khi
unless
[ənˈles] CONJ → a menos que + subjun, a no ser que + subjununless he comes tomorrow → a menos que venga mañana, a no ser que venga mañana
unless I hear to the contrary → a menos que me digan lo contrario, a no ser que me digan lo contrario
I won't come unless you phone me → no vendré a menos que me llames, no vendré a no ser que me llames
unless I am mistaken, we're lost → si no me equivoco, estamos perdidos
unless otherwise stated → de no especificarse lo contrario
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
unless
[ʌnˈlɛs] conj → à moins que ... ne + subj, à moins de + infinI won't come unless you phone me → Je ne viendrai pas à moins que tu ne me téléphones.
They can't vote unless they have French citizenship → Ils ne peuvent pas voter à moins d'avoir la nationalité française., Ils ne peuvent pas voter à moins qu'ils n'aient la nationalité française.
He was told he would be killed unless he left the area → On lui a dit qu'il serait tué à moins qu'il ne quitte la région.
Unless he comes, we won't be able to start → On ne pourra pas commencer à moins qu'il ne vienne.
I'm not happy unless I ride every day
BUT Je ne suis heureux que si je peux monter à cheval tous les jours.
unless I am mistaken → à moins que je ne me trompe
unless otherwise stated → sauf indication contraire
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
unless
conj → es sei denn; (at beginning of sentence) → wenn … nicht, sofern … nicht; don’t do it unless I tell you to → mach das nicht, es sei denn, ich sage es dir; unless I tell you to, don’t do it → sofern or wenn ich es dir nicht sage, mach das nicht; unless I am mistaken … → wenn or falls ich mich nicht irre …; unless otherwise stated → sofern nicht anders angezeigt or angegeben; unless there is an interruption → vorausgesetzt, alles läuft ohne Unterbrechung
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
unless
[ʌnˈlɛs] conj → a meno che non + sub, se non + indic, a meno di + infinwe won't get there on time unless we leave earlier → non arriveremo in tempo a meno di partire prima or a meno che non partiamo prima
unless otherwise stated → salvo indicazione contraria
unless I am mistaken → se non mi sbaglio
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
unless
(ənˈles) conjunction1. if not. Don't come unless I telephone.
2. except when. The directors have a meeting every Friday, unless there is nothing to discuss.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
unless
→ إِلاّ إِذا pokud ne medmindre es sei denn εκτός αν a no ser que ellei à moins que osim ako a meno che もし･･･でなければ ...이 아니면 tenzij med mindre chyba, że a menos que если не om inte นอกจาก olmadıkça trừ khi 除非Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009