alternative

See also: Alternative

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/
• (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /ɑl.ˈtɝ.nə.tɪv/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

alternative (not comparable)

1. Relating to a choice between two or more possibilities.

   an alternative proposition

   1. (linguistics) Presenting two or more alternatives.

      Synonym: disjunctive

      alternative conjunctions like or

2. Other; different from something else.
3. Not traditional, outside the mainstream, underground.

   alternative medicine; alternative lifestyle; alternative rock

4. (obsolete) Alternate, reciprocal.
   • 1601, Philemon Holland, transl., “Of the seuen Planets”, in The History of the World Commonly Called the Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus, translation of Naturalis Historia by Pliny the Elder, page 3:

     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.

Derived terms

• alternative dispute resolution
• alternative energy
• alternative hip hop
• alternative lifestyle
• alternative medicine
• alternative metal
• alternative press
• alternative rock
• alternative vote

 

Related terms

• alternate
• alternativeness
• alternativism

 

Translations

relating to a choice

• Armenian: այլընտրանքային (hy) (ayləntrankʿayin)
• Belarusian: альтэрнаты́ўны (alʹternatýŭny)
• Bulgarian: алтернати́вен (bg) (alternatíven)
• Catalan: alternatiu (ca)
• Czech: alternativní (cs)
• Danish: alternativ
• Dutch: alternatief (nl)
• Finnish: vaihtoehtoinen (fi)
• French: alternatif (fr) m
• Galician: alternativo m
• German: alternativ (de)
• Greek: εναλλακτικός (el) m (enallaktikós), προαιρετικός (el) m (proairetikós)
• Hungarian: vagylagos

• Italian: alternativo (it) m
• Malay: alternatif
• Malayalam: ബദൽ (ml) (badal), പകരം (ml) (pakaraṃ)
• Mirandese: alternatibo m
• Norwegian: alternativ (no)
• Polish: alternatywny (pl) m
• Portuguese: alternativo (pt)
• Russian: альтернати́вный (ru) (alʹternatívnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: а̏лтернатӣван

  Roman: ȁlternatīvan (sh)

• Slovak: alternatívny
• Spanish: alternativo (es)
• Swedish: alternativ (sv)
• Telugu: ప్రత్యామ్నాయం (te) (pratyāmnāyaṃ)
• Ukrainian: альтернати́вний (uk) (alʹternatývnyj)

(linguistics) presenting two or more alternatives

• Hungarian: választó (hu)

other

• Belarusian: альтэрнаты́ўны (alʹternatýŭny)
• Bulgarian: алтернати́вен (bg) (alternatíven)
• Catalan: alternatiu (ca)
• Danish: alternativ
• Finnish: vaihtoehtoinen (fi)
• French: autre (fr)
• Galician: alternativo m
• German: alternativ (de)
• Greek: εναλλακτικός (el) m (enallaktikós)
• Hungarian: alternatív (hu), másik (hu), más (hu)
• Italian: alternativo (it) m

• Japanese: 代替 (ja) (daitai)
• Malayalam: പകരം (ml) (pakaraṃ)
• Norwegian: alternativ (no)
• Polish: alternatywny (pl) m
• Portuguese: alternativo (pt)
• Russian: альтернати́вный (ru) (alʹternatívnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: а̏лтернатӣван

  Roman: ȁlternatīvan (sh)

• Swedish: alternativ (sv)
• Telugu: ప్రత్యామ్నాయం (te) (pratyāmnāyaṃ)
• Ukrainian: альтернати́вний (uk) (alʹternatývnyj)

not traditional, outside the mainstream, underground

• Catalan: alternatiu (ca)
• Hungarian: alternatív (hu)

• Polish: alternatywny (pl)
• Portuguese: alternativo (pt)
• Spanish: alternativo (es)

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.]
   • 1803, Chief Justice John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison^[1]:

     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.

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

• See also Thesaurus:option

Translations

a situation which allows a choice between two or more possibilities

• Belarusian: альтэрнаты́ва f (alʹternatýva)
• Bulgarian: алтернати́ва (bg) f (alternatíva)
• Czech: alternativa
• Esperanto: alternativo (eo)
• Finnish: vaihtoehto (fi)
• French: alternative (fr) f
• German: Alternative (de) f
• Greek: εναλλαγή (el) f (enallagí), διέξοδος (el) f (diéxodos)
• Irish: rogha (ga) f
• Italian: alternativa (it) f
• Japanese: 選択肢 (sentakushi)
• Malayalam: ബദൽ (ml) (badal)
• Mirandese: alternatiba f

• Norwegian: alternativ (no) n, alternativ (no) n pl
• Polish: alternatywa (pl) f, dysjunkcja f
• Portuguese: alternativa (pt) f
• Russian: альтернати́ва (ru) f (alʹternatíva)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: алтернати́ва f

  Roman: alternatíva (sh) f

• Spanish: alternativa (es) f
• Swedish: alternativ (sv) n
• Turkish: seçenek (tr)
• Ukrainian: альтернати́ва (uk) f (alʹternatýva)

one of several things which can be chosen

• Armenian: այլընտրանք (hy) (ayləntrankʿ)
• Belarusian: альтэрнаты́ва f (alʹternatýva)
• Bulgarian: алтернати́ва (bg) f (alternatíva)
• Esperanto: alternativo (eo)
• Finnish: vaihtoehto (fi)
• French: alternative (fr) f
• German: Alternative (de) f
• Greek: επιλογή (el) f (epilogí), εκλογή (el) f (eklogí)
• Hebrew: אַלְטֶרְנָטִיבָה‎ (he) f (alternatíva), חֲלוּפָה‎ f (khalufá)
• Irish: rogha (ga) f
• Italian: alternativa (it) f
• Japanese: 選択肢 (sentakushi)

• Malayalam: പകരം (ml) (pakaraṃ)
• Mirandese: alternatiba f
• Norwegian: alternativ (no) n, alternativ (no) n pl
• Polish: alternatywa (pl) f
• Portuguese: alternativa (pt) f
• Russian: альтернати́ва (ru) f (alʹternatíva)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: алтернати́ва f

  Roman: alternatíva (sh) f

• Spanish: alternativa (es) f
• Swedish: alternativ (sv) n
• Turkish: seçenek (tr)
• Ukrainian: альтернати́ва (uk) f (alʹternatýva)
• Yiddish: ברירה‎ f (breyre)

See also

• variant

References

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

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Esperanto

Pronunciation

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

Adverb

alternative

1. alternatively

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /al.tɛʁ.na.tiv/

• Audio

  (file)

• 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.

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German

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

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

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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

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Latin

Pronunciation

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

Adjective

alternātīve

1. vocative masculine singular of alternātīvus

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Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

alternative

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

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

alternative

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

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Swedish

Adjective

alternative

1. absolute definite natural masculine singular of alternativ.