alternation
[ awl-ter-ney-shuhn, al- ]
/ ˌɔl tərˈneɪ ʃən, ˌæl- /
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noun
the act or process of alternating or the state of being alternated.
alternate succession; repeated rotation: the alternation of the seasons.
Electricity. a single fluctuation in the absolute value of an alternating current or voltage from zero to a maximum and back to zero, being equal to one half cycle.
Linguistics. variation in the form of a linguistic unit as it occurs in different environments or under different conditions, as between the -ed and -en forms of the past participle in danced and spoken or between the (t) and (d) pronunciations of the past tense suffix -ed in hopped and rubbed.
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Words nearby alternation
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use alternation in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for alternation
alternation
/ (ˌɔːltəˈneɪʃən) /
noun
successive change from one condition or action to another and back again repeatedly
logic another name for disjunction (def. 3)
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
Medical definitions for alternation
alternation
[ ôl′tər-nā′shən, ăl′- ]
n.
Successive change from one thing or state to another and back again.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.