alternate

1 of 3

adjective

al·​ter·​nate
US and Canadian
ˈȯl-tər-nət How to pronounce alternate (audio)
 also  ˈal-;
 chiefly British  ȯl-ˈtər-
1
: occurring or succeeding by turns
a day of alternate sunshine and rain
2
a
: arranged first on one side and then on the other at different levels or points along an axial line
a plant with alternate leaves
compare opposite entry 1
b
: arranged one above or alongside the other
alternate layers of brick and stone
3
: every other : every second
He works on alternate days.
4
: constituting an alternative
took the alternate route home
5
: alternative sense 2
did not approve of their son's alternate lifestyle

alternate

2 of 3

verb

al·​ter·​nate ˈȯl-tər-ˌnāt How to pronounce alternate (audio)
 also  ˈal-
alternated; alternating

transitive verb

1
: to perform by turns or in succession
alternated comedies and dramas
2
: to cause to alternate

intransitive verb

: to change from one to another repeatedly
Rain alternated with sun.

alternate

3 of 3

noun

al·​ter·​nate
US and Canadian
ˈȯl-tər-nət How to pronounce alternate (audio)
 also  ˈal-;
 chiefly British  ȯl-ˈtər-
1
2
: one that substitutes for or alternates with another
They chose twelve jurors and two alternates.

Examples of alternate in a Sentence

Adjective Alternate shades of wood formed a pattern around the window. We took an alternate route because of the traffic. Due to an emergency, the plane landed at an alternate airport. Verb The poem alternates fear and hope. The light and dark woods alternate to form an elegant pattern around the window. Noun The town has elected five councilors and two alternates.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Kunin, an alternate captain, will be one of the players relied upon to fill the leadership void. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 The airline is helping rebook passengers or is offering them railway vouchers as an alternate mode of transportation, the airline’s spokesperson said. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 12 Mar. 2024 After this pundit changed eight of them to the alternate picks, the lesson learned is the right answer is often the most obvious one. Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 Suffice it to say that Alice soon goes missing, that her imaginary friend is not so imaginary, and that everyone winds up in an alternate dimension resembling an M.C. Escher drawing and featuring various monsters including a very large guy in a bear suit. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 All eastbound lanes of I-30 at Walsh Ranch Parkway were shut down and motorists were advised to seek alternate routes, the Texas Department of Transportation posted on X at 6:15 a.m. All lanes had reopened by 11:15 a.m., according to TxDOT. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 2024 Higher costs included an increase in building materials and other supplies for the Round Lake repairs, prompting the Huron-Manistee National Forests to reexamine preliminary designs and priorities, and alternate funding sources, according to the release. Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 McDonald’s, rather than fighting the alternate identity, has opted to lean into it to lure anime fans to its restaurants. Chris Morris, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 The oddball entries alternate with those whose familiarity is even more uncanny. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2024
Verb
The newcomer features a 42 mm stainless steel case with alternating satin and polished finishes. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2024 The Disney alum also wore a variety of jewelry, including rings, which accentuated her alternating nail polish colors. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 Whatever their reason, because leaving your friend alone dampens your enjoyment, consider alternating the holidays instead of skipping all the ones your family hosts. Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 Spend your days alternating between lounging or strolling hand-and-hand along the shores and exploring its natural wonders by foot, boat, or helicopter. Claudia Fisher, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024 Georgia May Jagger opted into the trend, wearing a sheer black halter top with vertical stripes in alternating sizes. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024 Buses going to and leaving UWM will alternate between traveling on Maryland Avenue and Downer Avenue. Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 Rodrigo’s albums necessarily have to alternate her pop-punk thrashers and her ballads, to some degree, making for a little bit of whiplash for the few of us who still listen to albums in squence. Chris Willman, Variety, 25 Feb. 2024 Beginning in July 2023, the store managers hatched a plan to have two other people commit fake armed robberies about once a month at their store, alternating who would be working when the robberies occurred, officials said. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024
Noun
Twelve jurors and four alternates appeared riveted Thursday by the scenes captured by LeFleur’s lapel camera video, which played on monitors positioned throughout the courtroom — despite several technical glitches that at times interrupted the video. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024 The goal is to whittle that number down to 17, which will include 12 jurors and five alternates. Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 25 Jan. 2024 Even though the jury does not include any alternates, having three more jurors than needed gives Kaplan a cushion, according to Nafatlis. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 24 Jan. 2024 Twelve jurors were chosen — seven men and five women — along with four alternates, all men. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024 Two had received sponsor exemptions, two others made it through the Monday qualifier and one got in as an alternate. Doug Ferguson, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2024 The 12 jurors were pulled from a pool of 15 jurors and alternates comprising 12 men and three women. Chris Young, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023 Jury selection was completed on Wednesday with 12 jurors and five alternates. Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 25 Jan. 2024 That process will help attorneys identify candidates who need additional questioning before the panel is narrowed down to 12 jurors and any alternates. Tom Olsen, Twin Cities, 14 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'alternate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin alternatus, past participle of alternare, from alternus alternate, from alter other

Verb

borrowed from Latin alternātus, past participle of alternāre "to ebb and flow, act in alternation, arrange in alternating order" — more at alternate entry 1

Noun

derivative of alternate entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1605, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1717, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of alternate was circa 1535

Dictionary Entries Near alternate

Cite this Entry

“Alternate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alternate. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

alternate

1 of 3 adjective
al·​ter·​nate ˈȯl-tər-nət How to pronounce alternate (audio)
 also  ˈal-
1
: occurring or following by turns
a day of alternate sunshine and rain
2
a
: occurring first on one side and then on the other at different levels along an axis
alternate leaves on a plant stem
b
: arranged one above, beside, or next to another
alternate layers of meat and cheese
3
: every other : every second
works on alternate days
4
: being one of the things between which a choice is to be made
we took an alternate route
alternately adverb

alternate

2 of 3 verb
al·​ter·​nate ˈȯl-tər-ˌnāt How to pronounce alternate (audio)
 also  ˈal-
alternated; alternating
1
: to do, occur, or act by turns
2
: to cause to alternate

alternate

3 of 3 noun
al·​ter·​nate -nət How to pronounce alternate (audio)
: a person named to take the place of another when necessary

Legal Definition

alternate

1 of 2 adjective
al·​ter·​nate ˈȯl-tər-nət, ˈal- How to pronounce alternate (audio)
1
: occurring or succeeding by turns
2
: being an alternative
alternate juror

alternate

2 of 2 noun
1
2
: one that substitutes for another
twelve jurors and three alternates
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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