alternative

American  

[awl-tur-nuh-tiv, al-] / ɔlˈtɜr nə tɪv, æl- /

noun

1. a choice limited to one of two or more possibilities, as of things, propositions, or courses of action, the selection of which precludes any other possibility.

   You have the alternative of riding or walking.

   Synonyms:

   selection, option

2. one of the things, propositions, or courses of action that can be chosen.

   The alternative to riding is walking.

3. a possible or remaining course or choice.

   There was no alternative but to walk.

---

adjective

1. affording a choice of two or more things, propositions, or courses of action.

2. (of two things, propositions, or courses) mutually exclusive so that if one is chosen the other must be rejected.

   The alternative possibilities are neutrality and war.

3. employing or following nontraditional or unconventional ideas, methods, etc.; existing outside the establishment.

   an alternative newspaper; alternative lifestyles.

4. Logic. (of a proposition) asserting two or more choices, at least one of which is true.

alternative British  

/ ɔːlˈtɜːnətɪv /

noun

1. a possibility of choice, esp between two things, courses of action, etc

2. either of such choices

   we took the alternative of walking

---

adjective

1. presenting a choice, esp between two possibilities only

2. (of two things) mutually exclusive

3. denoting a lifestyle, culture, art form, etc, regarded by its adherents as preferable to that of contemporary society because it is less conventional, materialistic, or institutionalized, and, often, more in harmony with nature

4. logic another word for disjunctive

Related Words

See choice.

Other Word Forms

• alternatively adverb
• alternativeness noun
• alternativity noun
• quasi-alternative adjective

Etymology

Origin of alternative

First recorded in 1580–90; alternate + -ive

Explanation

When you're facing a fork in the road, you have two possibilities, or alternatives. You could take the left fork and see where it leads, or you could choose the path that goes to the right. Whenever there is an alternative, it involves a choice. A wealthy student has the choice of going to a public school, or the alternative, a private school. Alternative can also refer to a different way of doing things, outside the norm. You might say that a hermit who lives in remote a cave with a pet turtle is living an alternative lifestyle.

Example Sentences

U.S. crude oil inventories fell for the first time in eight weeks as exports picked up, with buyers turning to alternative suppliers due to severe disruptions in the Persian Gulf.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

"ATDR is something everyone already has in their body. Our findings suggest that there may be an alternative approach that uses naturally occurring molecules to treat diseases related to myelin damage," he says.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

However, as Parry noted, both had alternative causes and weren’t linked to drug-induced liver injury.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

“We also present an alternative case where risks to energy production and trade in the Middle East remain high due to a prolonged conflict,” it said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

This early in the season—it was still early April—there were hardly any cars in the park, so we treated Skyline Drive as a kind of broad, paved, alternative footpath.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• opportunity
• option
• substitute