If you’re in a situation where you need to deliver instructions to someone and are unsure of how to phrase them, you’ve come to the right place!
We’ll help you understand what the phrase “unless otherwise specified” means and provide some synonyms that you can use as alternatives.
Other Ways to Say “Unless Otherwise Specified”
- Except as otherwise provided
- Unless you’re told otherwise
- Unless stated differently
- Unless otherwise stated
- Unless otherwise noted
- Unless noted otherwise
- If not otherwise specified
- Except as otherwise specified
- Except where the context otherwise requires
- Save as otherwise provided
- Absent of instructions to the contrary
- Except where otherwise indicated
- Except where otherwise noted
- Unless you have different instructions
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- “Unless otherwise specified” is a grammatically correct phrase that you can use in a professional scenario.
- As a formal alternative, you can use “except as otherwise provided.”
- If you’re looking for an informal option, you can try using “unless you’re told otherwise.”
Keep reading to see some examples of how these phrases fit into our workplace conversations!
Alongside example sentences, we’ll provide some more information about what scenarios you can use each alternative in.
We’ll also look at a different way to structure “unless otherwise specified.”
Except as Otherwise Provided (Formal)
A formal synonym for “unless otherwise specified” is “except as otherwise provided.”
You should feel comfortable using this phrase in professional settings where an elevated register of communication is required.
This may be because the company you work for has a preference for using formal language in their correspondence.
Additionally, this phrase is likely to appear in instructional texts, where people often use an academic and slightly stilted form of language.
“Unless otherwise specified” is still the preferred phrase for these scenarios. However, “except as otherwise provided” is a perfectly appropriate option for when you’re diversifying your language.
Here are some examples that use this phrase:
Except as otherwise provided, we always send the final draft to the CEO for approval.
Once you’ve completed these steps, except as otherwise provided, you can now commence with the data retrieval protocol.
Unless You’re Told Otherwise (Informal)
An informal alternative to “unless otherwise specified” is “unless you’re told otherwise.”
You can use this phrase in conversations with people you feel comfortable around and normally communicate in a casual register with.
Consequently, you’re not likely to encounter this phrase in written instructions, like you would “unless otherwise specified.” Additionally, if you’re writing instructions, it’s better to use “unless otherwise specified.”
Instead, you might use “unless you’re told otherwise” when you’re speaking to or messaging a co-worker, like in the examples below:
Unless you’re told otherwise, don’t bother filling out the EOD review sheet – nobody does them.
Dear Flo,
Unless you’re told otherwise, you can just leave them out at the end of the day.
Don’t worry about asking too many questions – I’m happy to help!
Kind regards,
Clara
Is It Correct to Say “Unless Otherwise Specified”?
“Unless otherwise specified” is a grammatically correct phrase that’s appropriate to use in a professional context.
It means that you should assume something to be true or put it into practice as a default. It’s a way of telling someone that it’s okay to do something unless they’re explicitly told not to.
Additionally, it’s also grammatically okay to adjust the word order of the phrase to “unless specified otherwise.” However, “unless otherwise specified” is the more popular syntax and the version we would recommend using.
In conclusion, while our list of synonyms can help you change your wording from time to time, “unless otherwise specified” is grammatically correct and effective to use in formal contexts.
We hope that you’ve found this article useful. If you’re thinking about using one of these phrases in the future, why not bookmark this page so you can find them again easily?