alternative
a choice limited to one of two or more possibilities, as of things, propositions, or courses of action, the selection of which precludes any other possibility: You have the alternative of riding or walking.
one of the things, propositions, or courses of action that can be chosen: The alternative to riding is walking.
a possible or remaining course or choice: There was no alternative but to walk.
affording a choice of two or more things, propositions, or courses of action.
(of two things, propositions, or courses) mutually exclusive so that if one is chosen the other must be rejected: The alternative possibilities are neutrality and war.
employing or following nontraditional or unconventional ideas, methods, etc.; existing outside the establishment: an alternative newspaper; alternative lifestyles.
Logic. (of a proposition) asserting two or more choices, at least one of which is true.
Origin of alternative
1- Also alternate (for defs. 1-4, 6).
synonym study For alternative
Other words for alternative
Other words from alternative
- al·ter·na·tive·ly, adverb
- al·ter·na·tive·ness, al·ter·na·tiv·i·ty [awl-tur-nuh-tiv-i-tee, al-], /ɔlˌtɜr nəˈtɪv ɪ ti, æl-/, noun
- qua·si-al·ter·na·tive, adjective
Words that may be confused with alternative
- alternate, alternative
Words Nearby alternative
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use alternative in a sentence
Similarly, representatives from Quaker tell Eater that rice cakes were first launched as “a low-carb alternative to bread” in the mid-’80s.
The Rise and Fall of the Rice Cake, America’s One-Time Favorite Health Snack | Brenna Houck | September 17, 2020 | EaterIf you’re looking for something to help you get healthier and more active, or just an alternative to your current workout routine, look for tiktoks with specific instructions.
Use TikTok to build the perfect workout | Sandra Gutierrez G. | September 17, 2020 | Popular-ScienceThe technology essentially combines the performance benefits of the diesel engine design with the low costs and the low emissions associated with these alternative fuels, co-founder and CEO BJ Johnson said in a recent interview with TechCrunch.
ClearFlame Engine Technologies takes aim at cleaning up diesel engines | Kirsten Korosec | September 17, 2020 | TechCrunchThere are, today, a large number of groups that continue to spread misleading health information or push users to try alternative or untested cures.
The coronavirus pandemic is set to change the way millions of Americans can vote in November, as states expand access to mail-in voting as a safer alternative to in-person voting.
Vote by mail: Which states allow absentee voting | Kate Rabinowitz, Brittany Mayes | September 17, 2020 | Washington Post
Whatever the FBI says, the truthers will create alternative hypotheses that try to challenge the ‘official story.’
It reminded me a bit of an alternative take on The Wolf of Wall Street—through the Toni and Candace lens.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness | Marlow Stern | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTAlready, 10 Republicans have declared they will vote for an alternative candidate and more seemed poised to join.
No longer does it constitute a reliable, middle class-based alternative to the corporatist mindset of the Republicans.
Another dark horse, Tennessee Senator Al Gore, was finding little traction in his efforts to become a centrist alternative.
"I will," gruffly replied the man, with a look which showed that he was sorry to be forced to choose the second alternative.
He had no alternative; he had as large interests in England as in Scotland, and armed opposition was out of the question.
King Robert the Bruce | A. F. MurisonMr. Balfour, being an abstemious man, would not submit to the latter alternative, but consented to tell a story.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | VariousComyn chose the latter alternative; and the agreement was guaranteed by oaths and embodied in indentures duly sealed.
King Robert the Bruce | A. F. MurisonThe future composer had no alternative but to study these works in pianoforte arrangements.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky | Modeste Tchaikovsky
British Dictionary definitions for alternative
/ (ɔːlˈtɜːnətɪv) /
a possibility of choice, esp between two things, courses of action, etc
either of such choices: we took the alternative of walking
presenting a choice, esp between two possibilities only
(of two things) mutually exclusive
denoting a lifestyle, culture, art form, etc, regarded by its adherents as preferable to that of contemporary society because it is less conventional, materialistic, or institutionalized, and, often, more in harmony with nature
logic another word for disjunctive (def. 3)
Derived forms of alternative
- alternatively, adverb
- alternativeness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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