alternative
Americannoun
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a choice limited to one of two or more possibilities, as of things, propositions, or courses of action, the selection of which precludes any other possibility.
You have the alternative of riding or walking.
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one of the things, propositions, or courses of action that can be chosen.
The alternative to riding is walking.
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a possible or remaining course or choice.
There was no alternative but to walk.
adjective
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affording a choice of two or more things, propositions, or courses of action.
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(of two things, propositions, or courses) mutually exclusive so that if one is chosen the other must be rejected.
The alternative possibilities are neutrality and war.
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employing or following nontraditional or unconventional ideas, methods, etc.; existing outside the establishment.
an alternative newspaper; alternative lifestyles.
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Logic. (of a proposition) asserting two or more choices, at least one of which is true.
noun
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a possibility of choice, esp between two things, courses of action, etc
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either of such choices
we took the alternative of walking
adjective
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presenting a choice, esp between two possibilities only
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(of two things) mutually exclusive
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denoting a lifestyle, culture, art form, etc, regarded by its adherents as preferable to that of contemporary society because it is less conventional, materialistic, or institutionalized, and, often, more in harmony with nature
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logic another word for disjunctive
Related Words
See choice.
Other Word Forms
- alternatively adverb
- alternativeness noun
- alternativity noun
- quasi-alternative adjective
Etymology
Origin of alternative
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And there are virtually no alternatives for crude transport.
From Barron's
He also said that since WhatsApp is a messaging service rather than a product, users can opt out and switch to alternatives such as Signal or Telegram if they are uncomfortable with its data-sharing policies.
From BBC
This matters because few alternatives exist for the oil-rich Middle East region to keep crude flowing to global markets without safe passage through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
From MarketWatch
Arab states have also increased security around alternative routes for crude and prepared parallel supply chains, according to Gulf officials.
Both bands are also battling it out tonight in both the group of the year and alternative/rock act categories.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
