alternate history

American  

[awl-ter-nit his-tuh-ree, his-tree, al-tur-] / ˈɔl tər nɪt ˈhɪs tə ri, ˈhɪs tri, ˈæl tɜr- /

Also alt history

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.

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Etymology

Origin of alternate history

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

It suggests an alternate history, a route not taken that could have led to a million different worlds better or worse than this one, in a concrete physical form.

From Slate • Dec. 18, 2024

Polish studio Fool’s Theory, led by veterans of the beloved Witcher series, describes The Thaumaturge as a role-playing game with “morally ambiguous choices,” and its blend of alternate history and metaphysical mystery looks intriguing.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 3, 2024

Is it alternate history but set in the future?

From New York Times • May 6, 2023

‘You Feel It Just Below the Ribs,’ by Jeffrey Cranor and Janina Matthewson, is a work of alternate history that traces its own origins to Night Vale.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 8, 2023

The little enclaves, each one is like an alternate history of humanity—what if we’d taken the Free Energy, but not deadheading?

From Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Doctorow, Cory