alternative

alternative

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of alternative in English

English Online Dictionary. What means alternative‎? What does alternative mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle French alternatif, from Medieval Latin alternātīvus (alternating), from the participle stem of Latin alternō (interchange, alternate). Compare alternate.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ɒl.ˈtɜː(ɹ).nə.tɪv/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ɔl.ˈtɝ.nə.tɪv/
  • (cotcaught merger) IPA(key): /ɑl.ˈtɝ.nə.tɪv/

Adjective

alternative (not comparable)

  1. Relating to a choice between two or more possibilities.
    1. (linguistics) Presenting two or more alternatives.
      Synonym: disjunctive
  2. Other; different from something else.
  3. Not traditional, outside the mainstream, underground.
    alternative medicine; alternative lifestyle; alternative rock
  4. (obsolete) Alternate, reciprocal.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

alternative (plural alternatives)

  1. A situation which allows a mutually exclusive choice between two or more possibilities; a choice between two or more possibilities. [from 17th c.]
  2. One of several mutually exclusive things which can be chosen. [from 17th c.]
  3. The remaining option; something available after other possibilities have been exhausted. [from 18th c.]
  4. (uncountable, music) alternative rock
  5. 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.

Synonyms

  • Synonyms: see Thesaurus:option

Antonyms

  • different or opposing

Translations

See also

  • variant

References

  • “alternative”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
  • “alternative”, in The Century Dictionary [], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Esperanto

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /alternaˈtive/
  • Rhymes: -ive

Adverb

alternative

  1. alternatively

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /al.tɛʁ.na.tiv/
  • Homophone: alternatives

Adjective

alternative

  1. feminine singular of alternatif

Noun

alternative f (plural alternatives)

  1. alternative

Further reading

  • “alternative”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

alternative

  1. inflection of alternativ:
    1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
    2. strong nominative/accusative plural
    3. weak nominative all-gender singular
    4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Italian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /al.ter.naˈti.ve/
  • Rhymes: -ive
  • Hyphenation: al‧ter‧na‧tì‧ve

Adjective

alternative

  1. feminine plural of alternativo

Noun

alternative f

  1. plural of alternativa

Anagrams

  • alternatevi

Latin

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /al.ter.naːˈtiː.u̯e/, [äɫ̪t̪ɛrnäːˈt̪iːu̯ɛ]
  • (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /al.ter.naˈti.ve/, [äl̪t̪ernäˈt̪iːve]

Adjective

alternātīve

  1. vocative masculine singular of alternātīvus

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

alternative

  1. inflection of alternativ:
    1. definite singular
    2. plural

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

alternative

  1. inflection of alternativ:
    1. definite singular
    2. plural

Swedish

Adjective

alternative

  1. definite natural masculine singular of alternativ

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This article based on an article on Wiktionary. The list of authors can be seen in the page history there. The original work has been modified. This article is distributed under the terms of this license.