alternative

See also Alternative

English

Wikipedia

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: /ɔːɫˈtʰɜːnətɪv/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

alternative (not comparable)

1. Relating to a choice between two or more possibilities
2. Not traditional, outside the mainstream, underground (e.g., alternative medicine, alternative lifestyle, alternative rock).
3. (Can we clean up⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) Other.

Derived terms

• alternative dispute resolution
• alternative energy
• alternative lifestyle
• alternative medicine
• alternative vote

Related terms

• alternate
• alternativeness
• alternativism

Translations

Relating to a choice

• Armenian: այլընտրանքային (hy) (ayləntrankʿayin)
• Bulgarian: алтернативен (bg) (alternativen)
• Catalan: alternatiu (ca)
• Czech: alternativní (cs)
• Danish: alternativ (da)
• Dutch: alternatief (nl)
• Finnish: vaihtoehtoinen (fi)
• French: alternatif (fr) m
• German: alternativ (de)
• Greek: εναλλακτικός (el) (enallaktikós) m, προαιρετικός (el) (proairetikós) m

• Italian: alternativo (it) m
• Norwegian: alternativ (no)
• Polish: alternatywny (pl) m
• Portuguese: alternativo (pt)
• Russian: альтернативный (ru) (alʹtɛrnatívnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: alternativan (sh)
• Spanish: alternativo (es)
• Swedish: alternativ (sv)
• Telugu: ప్రత్యామ్నాయం (te) (pratyaamnaayaM)

other

• Catalan: alternatiu (ca)
• Danish: alternativ (da)
• Finnish: vaihtoehtoinen (fi)
• French: alternatif (fr) m
• German: alternativ (de)
• Greek: εναλλακτικός (el) (enallaktikós) m
• Italian: alternativo (it) m

• Japanese: 代替 (ja) (daitai)
• Norwegian: alternativ (no)
• Polish: alternatywny (pl) m
• Portuguese: alternativo (pt)
• Serbo-Croatian: alternativan (sh)
• Swedish: alternativ (sv)
• Telugu: ప్రత్యామ్నాయం (te) (pratyaamnaayaM)

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 Wikisaurus:option

Translations

a situation which allows a choice between two or more possibilities

• Bulgarian: алтернатива (bg) (alternativa)
• Czech: alternativa (cs)
• Finnish: vaihtoehto (fi)
• French: alternative (fr) f
• German: Alternative (de) f
• Greek: εναλλαγή (el) (enallagí) f, διέξοδος (el) (diéxodos) f
• Irish: rogha (ga) f
• Italian: alternativa (it) f

• Japanese: 選択肢 (ja) (sentakushi)
• Norwegian: alternativ (no) n, alternativ (no) n pl
• Polish: alternatywa (pl) f
• Portuguese: alternativa (pt) f
• Russian: альтернатива (ru) (alʹtɛrnatíva) f
• Serbo-Croatian: alternativa (sh) f
• Spanish: alternativo (es) m
• Swedish: alternativ (sv) n

one of several things which can be chosen

• Armenian: այլընտրանք (hy) (ayləntrankʿ)
• Finnish: vaihtoehto (fi)
• French: alternative (fr) f
• German: Alternative (de) f
• Greek: επιλογή (el) (epilogí) f, εκλογή (el) (eklogí) f
• Irish: rogha (ga) f
• Italian: alternativa (it) f
• Japanese: 選択肢 (ja) (sentakushi)

• Norwegian: alternativ (no) n, alternativ (no) n pl
• Polish: alternatywa f
• Portuguese: alternativa (pt) f
• Russian: альтернатива (ru) (alʹtɛrnatíva) f
• Serbo-Croatian: alternativa (sh) f
• Spanish: alternativa (es) f
• Swedish: alternativ (sv) n

See also

• variant

References

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

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French

Wikipedia ^fr

Pronunciation

• alternative

  (file)

Adjective

alternative f

1. feminine form of alternatif

Noun

alternative f (plural alternatives)

1. alternative

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Italian

Noun

alternative f

1. Plural form of alternativa

Adjective

alternative f

1. feminine plural of alternativo

Anagrams

• alternatevi

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Latin

Adjective

alternātīve

1. vocative masculine singular of alternātīvus

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Swedish

Adjective

alternative

1. absolute definite natural masculine form of alternativ.