alternative

== English == === Etymology === From Middle French alternatif, from Medieval Latin alternātīvus (“alternating”), from the participle stem of Latin alternō (“interchange, alternate”). Compare alternate. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, contemporary) IPA(key): /ɒlˈtɜː.nə.tɪv/ (Received Pronunciation, conservatism) IPA(key): /ɔːlˈtɜː.nə.tɪv/ (dialects, US, without the cot–caught merger) IPA(key): /ɔlˈtɝ.nə.tɪv/ (General American, cot–caught merger, dialects of Canada) IPA(key): /ɑlˈtɝ.nə.tɪv/ (General Australian) IPA(key): /ɔlˈtɜː.nə.tɪv/ (New Zealand) IPA(key): /ɒlˈtøː.nə.təv/, [ɔ̟lˈtøː.nə.təv] (Indic) IPA(key): /ˈɔlʈə(r) ˈneʈɪv/, /əlʈə(r)ˈneʈɪv/ === Adjective === alternative (not comparable) Relating to a choice between two or more possibilities. (linguistics) Presenting two or more alternatives. Synonym: disjunctive Other; different from something else. Not traditional, outside the mainstream, underground. alternative medicine; alternative lifestyle; alternative rock (obsolete) Alternate, reciprocal. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Noun === alternative (plural alternatives) A situation which allows a mutually exclusive choice between two or more possibilities; a choice between two or more possibilities. [from 17th c.] One of several mutually exclusive things which can be chosen. [from 17th c.] The remaining option; something available after other possibilities have been exhausted. [from 18th c.] (uncountable, music) alternative rock A non-offensive word or phrase that serves as a replacement for a word deemed offensive or unacceptable, though not as a euphemism. ==== Synonyms ==== Synonyms: see Thesaurus:option ==== Antonyms ==== different or opposing ==== Derived terms ==== adult album alternative adult alternative ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== variant ==== References ==== “alternative”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “alternative”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. == Esperanto == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /alternaˈtive/ Rhymes: -ive Syllabification: al‧ter‧na‧ti‧ve === Adverb === alternative alternatively == French == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /al.tɛʁ.na.tiv/ Homophone: alternatives === Adjective === alternative feminine singular of alternatif === Noun === alternative f (plural alternatives) alternative === Further reading === “alternative”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == German == === Pronunciation === === Adjective === alternative inflection of alternativ: strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular strong nominative/accusative plural weak nominative all-gender singular weak accusative feminine/neuter singular == Italian == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /al.ter.naˈti.ve/ Rhymes: -ive Hyphenation: al‧ter‧na‧tì‧ve === Adjective === alternative feminine plural of alternativo === Noun === alternative f plural of alternativa === Anagrams === alternatevi == Latin == === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [aɫ.tɛr.naːˈtiː.wɛ] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [al.ter.naˈtiː.ve] === Adjective === alternātīve vocative masculine singular of alternātīvus == Norwegian Bokmål == === Adjective === alternative inflection of alternativ: definite singular plural == Norwegian Nynorsk == === Adjective === alternative inflection of alternativ: definite singular plural == Romanian == === Adjective === alternative inflection of alternativ: indefinite feminine genitive/dative singular indefinite feminine/neuter plural == Swedish == === Adjective === alternative definite natural masculine singular of alternativ