What does "alternative" mean?
A situation which allows a mutually exclusive choice between two or more possibilities; a choice between two or more possibilities.
Alternative
/ɒlˈtɜː.nə.tɪv/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A situation which allows a mutually exclusive choice between two or more possibilities; a choice between two or more possibilities.
- Grammar: alternative is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: choice, option, additional, agent.
- Useful contrasts: mainstream media, mainstream pop, standard task.
- Usage evidence: Is there no alternative to what you propose?
How to use "alternative"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "alternative" 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 "alternative" 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 "alternative" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "alternative" 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 "alternative" is acting as adj, 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 "choice" 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 "alternative", 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 A situation which allows a mutually exclusive choice between two or more possibilities; a choice between two or more possibilities.
"“The cloister or a betrothed husband?” I echoed—“Is that the alternative destined for Miss Vernon?”"
- 2 one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen wordnet
- 3 One of several mutually exclusive things which can be chosen.
"Between these alternatives there is no middle ground. The Constitution is either a superior, paramount law, unchangeable by ordinary means, or it is on a level with ordinary legislative acts, and, like other acts, is alterable when the legislature shall please to alter it."
- 4 The remaining option; something available after other possibilities have been exhausted.
- 5 alternative rock uncountable
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A non-offensive word or phrase that serves as a replacement for a word deemed offensive or unacceptable, though not as a euphemism.
"Disability activists discourage the use of the words "crazy" and "insane" due to their negative connections to mental health, suggesting alternatives such as "wild", "silly", or "out of this world", which do not relate to mental health."
Adjective
- 1 Relating to a choice between two or more possibilities. not-comparable
"an alternative proposition"
- 2 Relating to a choice between two or more possibilities.; Presenting two or more alternatives. not-comparable
"alternative conjunctions like or"
- 3 Other; different from something else. not-comparable
- 4 Not traditional, outside the mainstream, underground. not-comparable
"alternative medicine; alternative lifestyle; alternative rock"
- 5 Alternate, reciprocal. not-comparable, obsolete
"He [the Sun] it is that giveth light to all things, and riddeth them from darkneſſe : hee hideth the other ſtarres, and ſheweth them againe : he ordereth the ſeaſons in their alternative courſe : he tempereth the yeere, ariſing ever freſh and new againe, for the benefite and good of the world."
Adjective
- 1 necessitating a choice between mutually exclusive possibilities wordnet
- 2 pertaining to unconventional choices wordnet
- 3 serving or used in place of another wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"Is there no alternative to what you propose?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "alternative"?
Common synonyms include: choice, option, additional, agent, alt, alternate.
How do you use "alternative" in a sentence?
Is there no alternative to what you propose?
How do you pronounce "alternative"?
Pronounced /ɒlˈtɜː.nə.tɪv/.
Etymology
From Middle French alternatif, from Medieval Latin alternātīvus (“alternating”), from the participle stem of Latin alternō (“interchange, alternate”). Compare alternate.