alternation

[ awl-ter-ney-shuhn, al- ]

/ ˌɔl tərˈneɪ ʃən, ˌæl- /

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See synonyms for alternation on Thesaurus.com

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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Origin of alternation

First recorded in 1605–15, alternation is from the Late Latin word alternātiōn- (stem of alternātiō). See alternate, -ion

Words nearby alternation

alternating-gradient focusing, alternating group, alternating light, alternating series, alternating voltage, alternation, alternation of generations, alternative, alternative conjunction, alternative curriculum, alternative energy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use alternation in a sentence

But in Virginia it was grown without interruption or alternation, and the plantations rapidly deteriorated in fertility.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
The alternation of the seasons is thus complete, one-half of the empire enjoying summer, while one-half is in winter.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
It is the frequent alternation of freezing and thawing that does the harm.
Amateur Gardencraft|Eben E. Rexford
Each group is made up of an alternation of soft marls or clays and hard limestones or sandstones.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 4|Various

This mechanical alternation is objectively the same as that between the noun house and the verb to house.
Language|Edward Sapir

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

alternation

Origin of alternation

Words nearby alternation

Words related to alternation

How to use alternation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for alternation