What does "alternation" mean?
The reciprocal succession of (normally two) things in time or place; the act of following and being followed by turns; alternate succession, performance, or occurrence
Alternation
/ˈɔl.tɚˌneɪ.ʃən/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The reciprocal succession of (normally two) things in time or place; the act of following and being followed by turns; alternate succession, performance, or occurrence
- Grammar: alternation is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: alternating, alternations, back and forth motion, back-and-forth.
- Useful contrasts: consistency, continuity, monophasic cycle.
- Usage evidence: the alternation of day and night
How to use "alternation"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "alternation" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "alternation" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "alternation" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "alternation" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "alternation" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "alternating" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "alternation", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The reciprocal succession of (normally two) things in time or place; the act of following and being followed by turns; alternate succession, performance, or occurrence countable, uncountable
"the alternation of day and night"
- 2 successive change from one thing or state to another and back again wordnet
- 3 The response of the congregation speaking alternately with the minister. countable, uncountable
"There are Anthems to be found amongst them , where every syllable has its just length ; each part of a sentence its proper pause : where the words are not confused by perplexing alternations, or rendered tedious by unnecessary repetitions"
- 4 Ablaut. countable, uncountable
- 5 A pattern by which more than one construct is possible, as with "Alice cooked Bob dinner" and "Alice cooked dinner for Bob". countable, uncountable
"dative alternation; locative alternation"
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 The "inclusive or" truth function. countable, uncountable
- 7 A sequence that alternates between positive and negative values. countable, uncountable
- 8 A permutation. countable, proscribed, uncountable
- 9 A construct in a regular expression that can match any of several specified subexpressions. countable, uncountable
- 10 A type of partial truncation of a polygon, polyhedron or tiling in which alternate vertices are removed. countable, uncountable
"1932, Harold Scott Macdonald Coxeter, The densities of the regular polytopes, part 2, reprinted in 1995, F. Arthur Sherk, Peter Mcmullen, Anthony C. Thompson, Asia Ivić Weiss (editors), Kaleidoscopes: Selected Writings of H. S. M. Coxeter, page 54, This case suggests that the alternation of a polyhedron should be bounded by actual vertex figures and alternated faces. The case of the cube is in agreement with this notion, since the alternated square is nothing."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"the alternation of day and night"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "alternation"?
Common synonyms include: alternating, alternations, back and forth motion, back-and-forth, battledore and shuttlecock, beat.
How do you use "alternation" in a sentence?
the alternation of day and night
How do you pronounce "alternation"?
Pronounced /ˈɔl.tɚˌneɪ.ʃən/.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin alternatio; compare French alternation. By surface analysis, alternate + -ion.