alternative

See also: Alternative

English

Etymology

From Middle French alternatif, from Medieval Latin alternativus, from the participle stem of Latin alternāre (“to do by turns”). Compare alternate.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˌɒlˈtɜːnətɪv/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈɔlˌtɝnətɪv/ (citation needed)
  • Audio (US)(file)

Adjective

alternative (not comparable)

  1. Relating to a choice between two or more possibilities
    an alternative proposition
  2. Not traditional, outside the mainstream, underground (e.g., alternative medicine, alternative lifestyle, alternative rock).
  3. Other; different from something else.
  4. alternate; reciprocal
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Holland to this entry?)

Derived 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.]
    • 1817, Walter Scott, Rob Roy, XI:
      ‘The cloister or a betrothed husband?’ I echoed—‘Is that the alternative destined for Miss Vernon?’
  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.]

Synonyms

  • See also Thesaurus:option

Translations

See also

References

  • alternative in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • alternative in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Esperanto

Adverb

alternative

  1. alternatively

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /al.tɛʁ.na.tiv/
  • alternative(file)

Adjective

alternative

  1. feminine singular of alternatif

Noun

alternative f (plural alternatives)

  1. alternative

Further reading

German

Adjective

alternative

  1. inflected form of alternativ

Italian

Noun

alternative f

  1. plural of alternativa

Adjective

alternative

  1. feminine plural of alternativo

Anagrams

Latin

Adjective

alternātīve

  1. vocative masculine singular of alternātīvus

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

alternative

  1. definite singular of alternativ
  2. plural of alternativ

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

alternative

  1. definite singular of alternativ
  2. plural of alternativ

Swedish

Adjective

alternative

  1. absolute definite natural masculine form of alternativ.
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.