alternative
Americannoun
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alternatives
plural
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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.
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one of the things, propositions, or courses of action that can be chosen.
The alternative to riding is walking.
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a possible or remaining course or choice.
There was no alternative but to walk.
adjective
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affording a choice of two or more things, propositions, or courses of action.
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(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.
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employing or following nontraditional or unconventional ideas, methods, etc.; existing outside the establishment.
an alternative newspaper; alternative lifestyles.
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Logic. (of a proposition) asserting two or more choices, at least one of which is true.
noun
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a possibility of choice, esp between two things, courses of action, etc
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either of such choices
we took the alternative of walking
adjective
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presenting a choice, esp between two possibilities only
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(of two things) mutually exclusive
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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
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logic another word for disjunctive
Synonym Usage
See choice.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of alternative
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.
Vocabulary lists containing alternative
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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The Catcher in the Rye
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
She explains that thicker straps are a safer option where the dress code is unclear and recommends satin camisoles as a more polished alternative to basic cotton vests.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Still, part of the demand was the unappealing conditions of the alternative: the prison phone room.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
At that time, Wegovy was largely viewed as an alternative to stomach-shrinking bariatric surgery, which was then the only way to medically lose more than 10% of your body weight.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
“Branded products selling at a premium above a generic alternative is completely normal in any market,” spokesperson Jim Stanley said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
The headphones make me look like the generic alternative to an X-Wing fighter pilot, so I only wear them when I’m in my room.
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
But the dollar still has at least one thing going for it: a lack of viable alternatives.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
“Patients are looking for alternatives, and they are looking not at physicians. They’re looking at this gray market source.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
If he was to irrigate all his crops to keep them alive, the costs would be so high his cauliflowers, spuds and carrots would be far pricier than supermarket alternatives.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
So what are the stylish and comfortable alternatives?
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
But it was still better than wrestling with the alternatives.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
