alternate

1 of 3

adjective

al·​ter·​nate

US and Canadian

ˈȯl-tər-nət 

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 

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 

also ˈal-;

chiefly British ȯl-ˈtər-

1

: alternative

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

Santa Clarita city officials urged people to stay away from the area and use alternate routes if possible. — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026

When other projects like compilations, live recordings and alternate releases are also taken into consideration, Little Miss Twain ties as Twain’s second-lowest-peaking title on the Billboard 200. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Verb

Panoramic lookouts and majestic oaks alternate as the trail winds its way upward. — Kalpana Mohan, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026

Under an alternating electric field, particles of different sizes started interacting unevenly. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026

Noun

Also on the five-man team are Kameron Nelson and pommel horse specialist Patrick Hoopes, with veteran Yul Moldauer the traveling alternate. — Nancy Armour, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026

The Men’s Senior Selection Committee (SSC) will name the six-man team (one alternate) at the conclusion of Saturday’s competition. — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Latin alternātus, past participle of alternāre "to ebb and flow, act in alternation, arrange in alternating order," verbal derivative of alternus "alternating, successive, every other," from alter "second, other" + -nus, adjective suffix, probably after distributive adjectives such as quaternī "four each, four apiece" — more at alter

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

Phrases Containing alternate

• alternate angle

Kids Definition

alternate

1 of 3 adjective

al·​ter·​nate ˈȯl-tər-nət 

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 

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 

: 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- 

1

: occurring or succeeding by turns

2

: being an alternative

alternate juror

alternate

2 of 2 noun

1

: alternative

2

: one that substitutes for another

twelve jurors and three alternates