definitions

alternation

[ awl-ter-ney-shuh n, al- ]
/ ˌɔl tərˈneɪ ʃən, ˌæl- /
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SEE MORE 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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RELATED WORDS

interchange, rotation, variation, shift, transposition

Nearby words

alternating pulse, alternating series, alternating tremor, alternating voltage, alternating-gradient focusing, alternation, alternation of generations, alternation of heart, alternative, alternative conjunction, alternative curriculum

Origin of alternation

First recorded in 1605–15, alternation is from the Late Latin word alternātiōn- (stem of alternātiō). See alternate, -ion
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for alternation

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

Word Origin and History for alternation

alternation

n.

mid-15c., from Old French alternacion, from Latin alternationem (nominative alternatio), noun of action from past participle stem of alternare (see alternate (v.)).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine 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.