alternative
Americannoun
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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:
"Interest-free buy now pay later is a simpler, fairer, lower-cost alternative to revolving credit. Robust regulation that gives consumers added confidence and strengthens their access to protections is a good thing."
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
At a rally Tuesday, organizers said that only a mandatory evacuation order could qualify families for insurance coverage of alternative living expenses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
How do you personally gauge the true state of China’s economy—official data, alternative indicators, or something else?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Armenian farmers, he said, should focus more on quality than yield to carve out a place in alternative markets.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
“So what you’re saying is that I look horrible, but the alternative would be much worse?”
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
The announcement came days after UC’s faculty admissions board pulled back on its study plan without offering alternatives or giving a public explanation as to why it rescinded its vote on the original plan.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
They are cheaper to buy than the alternatives and do not require professional installation.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
For simpler work, lower-cost alternatives from Chinese companies such as DeepSeek and Zhipu have become the go-to models.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
"We are now in a sensitive period where potential alternatives to an Iranian toll or fee system are being explored," Andreas Krieg, a security expert at King's College London, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
He did not wish to think of the alternatives.
From "The River" by Gary Paulsen
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.
