Etymology From Middle English otherwise, othre wise, from Old English on ōþre wīsan (literally “in (on) other/different manner”); equivalent to other + -wise. Compare West Frisian yn oarwei (“otherwise”), Icelandic öðruvísi (“different”).
Do you want the newest items put up top, or do you want it done otherwise?
Could I do otherwise than smile?
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If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, euen the wordes of our Lord Iesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse:1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Timothy 6:3:
I’m not well today, otherwise I would have helped.
You have to open your umbrella, otherwise you'll get wet.
3 more examples
They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect. And why else was he put away up there out of sight?—and so magnificent a brush as he had too.1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:
No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or otherwise his man would be there with a message to say that his master would shortly join me if I would kindly wait.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 46:
Creating a complete map of the human connectome would therefore be a monumental milestone but not the end of the journey to understanding how our brains work. The achievement will transform neuroscience and serve as the starting point for asking questions we could not otherwise have answered,[…].2012 March-April, Terrence J. Sejnowski, “Well-connected Brains”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 171:
3
Conjunctive In all other respects; apart from that; except for this.
He lost his temper once in a while. Otherwise he behaved rationally.
There was one rotten apple in an otherwise perfect batch.
2 more examples
Looking back at more than four years spent going to college I can now positively say that the most meaninful thing I accomplished (the only meaningful thing I accomplished!) was establishing a gay liberation group on campus. Otherwise my college education was almost useless.1977 December 10, Mark N. Silber, “Gays On Campus — One Story”, in Gay Community News, volume 5, number 23, page 9:
Robin van Persie squandered United's best chance late on but otherwise it was a relatively comfortable afternoon for Liverpool's new goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who has yet to concede a Premier League goal since his £9m summer move from Sunderland.2013 September 1, Phil McNulty, BBC Sport:
Etymology From Middle English otherwise, othre wise, from Old English on ōþre wīsan (literally “in (on) other/different manner”); equivalent to other + -wise. Compare West Frisian yn oarwei (“otherwise”), Icelandic öðruvísi (“different”).
1
Other than supposed; different.
He said he didn’t do it, but the evidence was otherwise.
Statistics need lots of information, digital and otherwise.