1. the quality or state of being other or different; otherness.
Usage: formal; often used in philosophy, anthropology, and literary criticism
2. in philosophy, the condition of being fundamentally other or alien, especially in relation to the self or one's own culture.
Usage: academic; philosophical

Examples

• The philosopher explored the concept of alterity to understand how we perceive those different from ourselves.
• Postcolonial studies often examine the alterity imposed on indigenous peoples by colonial powers.
• Understanding alterity is essential for meaningful cross-cultural dialogue.
• The novel's protagonist grapples with the alterity of the foreign land she has entered.
• Levinas argued that ethics begins with recognizing the alterity of the other person.
• Cultural anthropologists study alterity to avoid imposing their own values on other societies.