Otherwise/ˈʌðərwaɪz/ Definition 1 of 3Pro Tip 1/2Contrary Expectation Use 'otherwise' to indicate that what happened is different from what was expected. He was known to be punctual, but today he arrived otherwise. Pro Tip 2/2Implied Conditions Often used to suggest there were other conditions or outcomes that were possible. The weather was bad. They played the match otherwise.