as in distinctiveness
the quality or state of being different
from an early age he could sense that there was an otherness about him—he was somehow different from the other kids
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Recent Examples of otherness
It’s also suggested that the lack of safe spaces outside of work (where for many minorities racial and social inequalities are most felt) and home have contributed to feelings of isolation and otherness amongst young Black people.
—
L'oréal Blackett, refinery29.com, 2 Oct. 2024
Elphaba is able to repurpose her otherness for a good cause.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Often traveling far from her neighborhood to play with orchestras, she was reminded of her distinct otherness at each rehearsal.
—Pauleanna Reid, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for otherness
L'oréal Blackett, refinery29.com, 2 Oct. 2024
Elphaba is able to repurpose her otherness for a good cause.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Often traveling far from her neighborhood to play with orchestras, she was reminded of her distinct otherness at each rehearsal.
—Pauleanna Reid, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for otherness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for otherness
Noun
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Shoppers are not expected to see a difference at the supermarket checkout line since the new law just shifts collection of the revenue.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2025
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Ana’s guilt creates a need to iron out differences with her mother and receive her blessing — but that’s not likely.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Within the first 100 days of his second administration President Donald Trump has been incredibly busy, implementing major changes from enacting tariffs to targeting diversity initiatives.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
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The Crown’s offensive diversity — featuring 10 different goal scorers this season — proved ineffective against New England’s tactical discipline.—
Colin Cerniglia,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Technical Architecture Supports Continuous Improvement The distinction between NeMo and Nvidia’s Inference Microservices, branded as NIMs, lies in their complementary functions.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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Even for the big names, the distinction between the pure and the pragmatic holds fast.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In contrast, Trump, who Forbes estimates has a net worth hovering around $5 billion, has surrounded himself with other billionaires, appointing several of them to the wealthiest presidential cabinet in U.S. history.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
2 May 2025
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In contrast, data removal services save time by handling the legwork for you.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Otherness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/otherness. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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