alternate history

[ awl-ter-nit his-tuh-ree, his-tree, al-tur- ]

noun

1. a genre of fiction comprising narratives in which a historical event or events take a different path than that which occurred in real life:

   Much alternate history has been written about World War II.

2. a work of fiction in which a historical event or events take a different path than that which occurred in real life:

   The first of her alternate histories, the one in which Aaron Burr wins the 1800 presidential election, is my favorite.

Word History and Origins

Origin of alternate history¹

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

So even his greatest triumph comes with an alternate history.

From The Daily Beast