alternative

American  

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

noun

• alternatives
  plural

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.

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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

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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

Synonym Usage

See choice.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• alternatives
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of alternative

First recorded in 1580–90; alternate + -ive

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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

See Examples For:

alternative alternatives

Police said the roads were expected to remain closed for some time and advised drivers to find alternative routes.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

Falling for a bespoke arrangement of code remains a novel concept for most people, but it’s also an accessible alternative to isolation.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026

“Is everyone just nodding their head and rubber-stamping every decision, or how likely are the dynamics in the boardroom to allow for questions, alternative views?”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

“Trans and queer people are often pigeonholed to this idea of being really alternative in sound,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

"People discussed, disputed, and imagined alternative political and economic orders," wrote the historian Melvyn Leffler.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

“This reflects a broader shift toward couples embracing alternatives to traditional wedding jewelry and prioritizing personal preferences over convention,” Skurnik said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026

Many are questioning whether they can rely on the U.S. as a partner even as they recognize there are no good alternatives to its military technology and backing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

These ingredients are frequently promoted as healthier alternatives to sugar.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

Even after discovering the leaks, the military continued to use the vehicles until the end of the exercise due to a lack of alternatives and the soldiers deleted the videos, DN reported.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

The farm has decided to let us do our booth at the festival, and to combine it with some of their resources on alternatives to traps, poisons, and hunting to manage predators and livestock encounters.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

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Related Words

• opportunity
• option
• substitute

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