if not

Part of Speech:

All (3) Adverb (1) Conjunction (1) Preposition (1)

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otherwise adv.
unless conj.
except prep.

ADVERB

otherwise

Synonyms

STRONG

differently

WEAK

any other way at another time contrarily diversely elseways in different circumstances on the other hand or else or then under other conditions variously

CONJUNCTION

unless

Synonyms

WEAK

but except except for excepting that lest saving without

PREPOSITION

except

Synonyms

STRONGEST

save

STRONG

bar barring excepting excluding exempting lacking omitting rejecting saving

WEAK

apart from aside from besides but exclusive of leaving out minus not for outside of short of with the exception of without

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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if not

Last season’s game drew almost 125 million viewers; this is one of — if not the — biggest stages in music.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

These are things that I feel would have been, if not third rail, at least second rail and off-limits not too long ago.

From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026

"Sufficiently advanced AI systems could, if not developed, deployed, and operated with appropriate safeguards, oversight, and security measures, pose catastrophic or existential risks to humanity," Anthropic said.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

“He was an American in principle, if not by birth,” another biographer once observed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

There wouldn’t have been any women’s aviation organizations during World War II if not for the driving forces of individual people.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

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