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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But the truth is, neurological differences really are a superpower.—
As told to Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
15 Apr. 2025
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Upfront costs are also important and can make the difference for whether new power projects can be built, as the East Coast has seen lately.—
Erin Baker,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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On April 11th, the Trump Administration sent a letter to Harvard University demanding an end to its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in hiring, admissions, and programs.—
Marybeth Gasman,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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The findings support the need for scientists to incorporate more diversity when crafting linguistic models, says Jixing Li, a linguist at City University Hong Kong, who was not involved in the new study.—
Gayoung Lee,
Scientific American,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This effectively removes the distinction between mainstream and AI stacks.—
Dinesh Subhraveti,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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With his first career homer, Wilson earned the distinction of blasting the A’s first home run at Sutter Health Park, doing so in the March 31 home opener vs. the Seattle Mariners.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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By contrast, Lyon have progressed from their previous 11 semi-finals in this competition, going on to win eight of the resulting finals.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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By contrast, the lab origin hypothesis largely relies on the proximity of a research lab to the first cases, conjecture, and distrust of the Chinese government, which has not been forthcoming with information on the early days of the health crisis.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Otherness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/otherness. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
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