Mallternative
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Any style or genre that is ostensibly counterculture or alternative, but actually mainstream enough to be encountered at a mall, or among the type of people who frequent a mall. attributive, derogatory, often, sometimes, uncountable
"As the "over-the-counterculture'" has grown, as once cutting-edge alternative styles and products have become "mallternative," Newbury Comics has benefited from the market moving in its direction. Black leather biker jackets, body piercings, tattoos, and jarring hairstyles, which once could shock the counterculturally challenged, today are part of a lifestyle choice that barely raises eyebrows."
- 2 An alternative to a mall, particularly an open-air urban shopping district. countable
"Although several energy-depleting surface parking lots remain, Mass Avenue's interesting mix of business and people is quickly turning it into a full-fledged window shopper's mallternative, full of energy."
Example
More examples"As the "over-the-counterculture'" has grown, as once cutting-edge alternative styles and products have become "mallternative," Newbury Comics has benefited from the market moving in its direction. Black leather biker jackets, body piercings, tattoos, and jarring hairstyles, which once could shock the counterculturally challenged, today are part of a lifestyle choice that barely raises eyebrows."
Etymology
Blend of mall + alternative.
Related phrases
More for "mallternative"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.