otherness

noun

oth·​er·​ness ˈə-t͟hər-nəs How to pronounce otherness (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being other or different
2
: something that is other or different

Examples of otherness in a Sentence

As an American growing up in Africa, I always felt a sense of otherness. the otherness of their small religious community
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Gone is the psychosexual otherness of her earlier work and any vestige of speaking to institutional power. Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 14 June 2024 Elphaba is able to repurpose her otherness for a good cause. Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 When everyone’s tossed together into the big salad of marginalization, otherness is made banal and abstract. Dean Kissick, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024 As an immigrant teen trying to assimilate when his family moved to New York, Stan badly wanted to fit in, but was deeply conscious of his ‘otherness’. Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for otherness 

Word History

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of otherness was in 1587

Dictionary Entries Near otherness

Cite this Entry

“Otherness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/otherness. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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