alternatively

American  

[awl-tur-nuh-tiv-lee, al-] / ɔlˈtɜr nə tɪv li, æl- /

adverb

1. as another choice or option.

   At the end of the unit, each group of students writes a book review or, alternatively, acts out a short scene from the book.

2. in a nonstandard, novel, or unconventional manner or style.

   We found significant differences between the traditionally and alternatively certified teachers with regard to classroom experience.

   You are not automatically more creative just because you're in an alternatively decorated meeting room.

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Other Word Forms

• quasi-alternatively
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of alternatively

alternative + -ly

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

alternatively

But EA barristers said it had a general power to bring private prosecutions, and alternatively that allegations of conspiracy to defraud were connected to its functions.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Bespoke splits the robotics theme into two baskets; one for firms with actual robotics or automation products as lines of business, and alternatively picks-and-shovels companies who produce critical components or systems.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

As the stock market alternatively displays the grace of a boxer and the oafishness of a drunkard, investors are once more confronting that which they fear most: volatility.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

The law lets defendants pay a penalty and then contest the FCC’s findings in federal appellate court or, alternatively, wait for the Justice Department to enforce the penalty and challenge it in federal court.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

Thus, according to the American College Dictionary, a fact is ‘something that actually exists; reality’ and also, or alternatively, ‘a truth known by actual experience or observation; something known to be true’.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• sooner
• willingly