elsewhere

elsewhere — adverb

1. referring to a place other than the one being discussed or where someone is now

1.adverbB2
Definition

referring to a place other than the one being discussed or where someone is now — for example, looking for work in a different city, or finding what you need on another page of a book.

Example

Mei could not find her keys anywhere in the house, so she began searching elsewhere.

verb of searching + elsewhere

The art museum was closed, so the class went elsewhere for their trip.

verb of movement + elsewhere

Common collocations
  • go elsewhere
  • look elsewhere
  • search elsewhere
  • find something elsewhere
  • be located elsewhere
  • elsewhere in the world
  • elsewhere on the page
  • from elsewhere
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

verb + elsewhere

elsewhere in/on + noun phrase

Usage Note

Unlike 'somewhere else', 'elsewhere' is one word and does not need a preposition before it: use 'go elsewhere', not 'go to elsewhere'. It appears frequently in both formal writing and everyday speech.

Common Mistakes

I went to elsewhere for my holiday.
I went elsewhere for my holiday.
'elsewhere' already contains the meaning of 'to', so adding 'to' is redundant.
She looked at elsewhere for information.
She looked elsewhere for information.
verbs of seeking take 'elsewhere' directly, without a preposition.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

'Elsewhere', 'somewhere else', 'someplace else', and 'in another place' all refer to a different location, but they differ in formality and structure. 'Elsewhere' is the most concise and is common in both formal writing (reports, academic texts) and neutral speech. 'Somewhere else' is the everyday spoken choice across all varieties of English and is slightly less formal. 'Someplace else' is primarily American and feels more casual. 'In another place' is more literal and often appears when the speaker wants to emphasize a contrast between two specific locations. For example: 'The data is stored elsewhere' (efficient, formal) vs. 'Let's go somewhere else' (natural, spoken) vs. 'This item should be catalogued in another place' (explicit comparison).

elsewhere ↗somewhere elsesomeplace elsein another place

Common collocations

Phrases

  • elsewhere in the world
  • elsewhere in the document
  • elsewhere on the page

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Comes from Old English 'elles hwær', where 'elles' meant 'other' or 'otherwise' and 'hwær' meant 'where'. Over time the two words fused into a single adverb in Middle English, making 'elsewhere' one of the oldest compound location words still in everyday use.