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:
The agriculture minister has claimed there was "no reasonable alternative" to euthanising 51 cattle who were shot dead in a field in County Tyrone at the end of June.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
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
The alternative to outsourced childcare has a few invisible price tags, however.
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
One glimmer of hope remained, one alternative to the big bang: steady-state theory.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Boards need more alternatives, and the CFO is often a good option.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
MarketWatch: Your portfolio is 60% equities, 20% fixed income, 20% alternatives.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
There are no economic alternatives to lithium-ion technology at present, Kubiak adds.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
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
Gretchen Silver knew he was as stubborn as he was vulnerable, so she began exploring alternatives.
From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg
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.
