Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

alterna-rock

noun al·ter·na-rock \ ȯl-ˈtər-nə-ˌräk , al- \
See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

Definition of alterna-rock

: alternative rock
  • … the music is melodic, experimental alterna-rock with some danceable touches.
  • —Houston Chronicle,  6 Jan. 2010
  • alterna-rock tunes
  • … a trio of unrepentant country fans whose alterna-rock approach doesn't imply ironic slacker detachment so much as a refusal to play by anybody's rules.
  • —Mark Lepage, The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec),  19 Feb. 1994

There's more!

Love words? You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!
Already a subscriber? Log in.

Origin and Etymology of alterna-rock

short for alternative rock

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up alterna-rock? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

querulous

play

habitually complaining

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. pansexual 'sexual desire or attraction...not limited to a particular gender identity or sexual orientation'

  2. symbiote 'an organism living in symbiosis'

  3. charlatan 'faker or fraud'

  4. lowlife 'a person of low moral character'

  5. kakistocracy 'government by the worst people'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

alterna-rock

Test Your Vocabulary

April 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

  • rain-on-rainbow-umbrella
  • Which is the best synonym of traduce?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-5ae23d5d250bd
'Rather Than': Is It a Conjunction or Preposition?

It's both, and here's why.

alt-5ae227cf365c4
‘Magnate’ and ‘Magnet’: Poles Apart

This is kind of a Big Deal

image278155226
All the Hits

8 obscure words for bodily harm

alt-5adf93a49b0b2
The Fossil Encased in "Case In Point"

"In point" only lives in this phrase.

Ask the Editors

image1760257654
2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

video-literally
Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

rain-on-rainbow-umbrella
April 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

The rhyming verb edition.

Take the quiz
image1926873504
Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

Test your knowledge of strange human behaviors.

Take the quiz
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game