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• alt
  alt

  adjective

  high.
• alt-
  alt-

  variant of alti- before a vowel.
• alt.
  alt.

  abbreviation

  alteration.

alt

¹ American  

[alt] / ælt /

adjective

1. high.

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noun

1. in alt, in the first octave above the treble staff.

alt- ² American  

1. variant of alti- before a vowel.

   altazimuth.

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alt- ³ American  

1. a combining form of alternative, used in compound words describing a nontraditional or unconventional version within a genre or category, often something provocative, subversive, or innovative: the alt-right movement; writers of alt-lit;

   alt-country bands;

   the alt-right movement;

   alt-weeklies;

   writers of alt-lit;

   quinoa and other alt-grains.

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alt. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. alteration.

2. alternate.

3. altitude.

4. alto.

5. alternative.

6. Computers. alternative user

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alt British  

/ ælt /

adjective

1. (esp of vocal music) high in pitch

2. of or relating to the octave commencing with the G above the top line of the treble staff

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noun

1. in the octave directly above the treble staff

Etymology

Origin of alt¹

1525–35; < Provençal < Latin altum, noun use of neuter of altus high

Origin of alt-³

First recorded in 1985–90; from the use of the prefix alt- in Usenet, to denote newsgroups with unconventional discussion topics

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

alt alt- alt.

I would listen to that all day, every day — amongst ’90s alt music, some Nine Inch Nails and stuff because that’s what John would do.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

Because this alt comedy makes no bones about its characters or situations being even remotely logical or realistic, anything goes — and does.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026

Malinin was among those in the crowd who gave Liu - the alt girl with her iconic halo hair and lip piercing - a standing ovation as she wrote herself into Olympic folklore.

From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026

And the private-credit market, dominated by the alt firms, is now $1.5 trillion-plus.

From Barron's ● Dec. 5, 2025

Some alt rock was blaring from her paint-covered Bose docking system.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan

And Thalia had hot-wired the radio in a black Mercedes SLK so she could pick up the alt- rock stations from D.C.

From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan

“I had a complex that I was too not alt. I felt like Rob Thomas,” he recalled.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2023

“Lengthy backups remain, so expect large delays/leave early or use alt. routes for a bit longer!” the department said on Twitter shortly after 8 a.m.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 16, 2023

Today, pop music often divides listeners more than it unites them, as fans take sides for and against gangsta rap or rap-rock or alt. country or teen pop.

From Time Magazine Archive

So the next day the two of them jacked into Usenet and spent three hours sifting through about 7,400 files on alt. binaries.etc.

From Time Magazine Archive

In the former she vocalizes freely above the lines for many bars, and in one passage takes the astonishing note F in alt. with perfect intonation.

From Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. V, October, 1850, Volume I. by

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