alternately

adverb

al·​ter·​nate·​ly

US and Canadian

ˈȯl-tər-nət-lē 

also ˈal-;

chiefly British ȯl-ˈtər-

1

: by turns one after the other

His heart rate was 175, his blood pressure alternately spiking and falling.

—Stephen King

As the gravitational waves passed Earth, they would alternately compress and expand the space between two objects.

—Neil deGrasse Tyson et al.

The rest of the day I spent alternately pacing the length of the train … or looking out the windows.

—Rick Riordan

2

: as an alternative

—used to introduce a different possibility from what has been previously suggested or described

From then on, you can take out almost $10,000 a year and annuitize $160,000 after at least ten years. Alternately, you can make no withdrawals and let your guaranteed base grow by 6 percent a year.

—Kerry Pechter

The club was originally known as Fontana Bar (or, alternately, Fontana Lounge and Fontana Room) from Bellagio's opening until it shifted to Hyde in December 2011.

—John Katsilometes

You could be in for a pretty remarkable experience—or, alternately, one of the most miserable and terrifying nights of your life.

—Drew Schwartz

Examples of alternately in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Musicians who have alternately formed a Shaggs tribute band or arranged their music for an instrumental duo speak to the odd intricacies of the music, which runs counter to the idea that it was just being made up in real time in the studio. —Chris Willman, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026

After cornering poor Shinia and alternately hitting on her and warning her to stay away from him, Dakota has one last move to pull. —Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026

From Karen Black, who can seem alternately gorgeous and bedraggled, joyous and defeated, Jaglom has gotten one of her finest portrayals and surely her best comic performance. —Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026

Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beating on low after each addition just until combined. —Maddy Bendgen, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1