Added 4 October 2026
alternative
/ɒlˈtɜː.nə.tɪv/ adjective
Latin root: alternātīvus Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about alternative at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Relating to a choice between two or more possibilities.
an alternative proposition
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Presenting two or more alternatives.
alternative conjunctions like or
- Other; different from something else.
noun
-
A situation which allows a mutually exclusive choice between two or more possibilities; a choice between two or more possibilities. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
I gave you the alternative; you decided to stay.
- One of several mutually exclusive things which can be chosen.
- The remaining option; something available after other possibilities have been exhausted.
Origin
From Middle French alternatif, from Medieval Latin alternātīvus (“alternating”), from the participle stem of Latin alternō (“interchange, alternate”). By surface analysis, alternate + -ive. Compare alternate.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)