Other means different from what has already been mentioned or understood. When you've eaten one cookie and reach for another, you're choosing a different cookie, an other one. When a teacher says “any other questions?” she means questions besides the ones already asked.

The word helps us distinguish between what we're focused on and everything else. If you're comparing two books and you like one better than the other, you're pointing to the second book without naming it directly. When someone talks about “other people” or “other countries,” they mean people or places different from the ones being discussed.

Other can also describe something additional or alternative. A friend might say, “Do you have any other ideas?” meaning ideas beyond what's been suggested. In this sense, other opens up possibilities: it acknowledges that more options exist.

Sometimes people use other to describe what seems strange or unfamiliar, as in “The new student seemed kind of other at first.” Here, other suggests someone feels different or separate from a group, which can be a reminder to stay curious and welcoming.