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.

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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

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

Example Sentences

The new rules say product descriptions containing the name of a citrus fruit, such as "lemon marmalade", will be allowed as an alternative.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

The software slump had a knock-on effect on alternative asset managers amid concerns over lending to companies in the beaten-down sector.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

He experimented with a variety of change-ups, searching across the seams in the hopes of finding a suitable alternative to his blistering fastball.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

As of February, Allbirds was still pushing ahead with its initial sustainability pitch, announcing the launch of a shoe collection made with a leather alternative derived from plant proteins and recycled tires.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

“I know. Trust me, we teachers hate them, too. But it’s how the system is set up. With less funding, we’ve had to turn to alternative ways to get through the year.”

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

Related Words

• opportunity
• option
• substitute