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

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

See Examples For:

alternative alternatives

The company on Wednesday announced a new coding agent, called Muse Code, that it is pitching as a cheaper alternative to competitors.

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 airline had launched additional flights to Europe in March and April "to cater for an upsurge in market demand as passengers prioritised alternative routings".

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

He admitted that eating without fillings was “uncomfortable,” but it was better than the alternative of losing all of one’s teeth, which he predicted would happen if the fillings remained.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

But rigorous science takes time, and they’re up against a public that has lost patience with the traditional drug approval model — and a market that is happy to provide alternatives.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Becker said he’s focused on evidence of price gouging in California specifically, where a small handful of refineries serve a relatively isolated market with limited alternatives for sourcing fuel.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Ariel Investments, another investor with a roughly 5.4% stake in Mattel, said it has confidence in Kreiz to consider all strategic alternatives and do what is right for shareholders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

"The alternatives for getting cargo, whether that's hydrocarbons or container shipping, are really not great… it is really still troubling times with no clarity and no change of fortunes within sight."

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

“I’ll give you a few days to discuss, but I promise you will like the alternatives far less.”

From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed

Related Words

• opportunity
• option
• substitute