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

Later, Godchaux would front her own group, alternately known as Donna Jean and the Tricksters and the Donna Jean Godchaux Band. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025

Inspired by his studies of witchcraft and medieval witch hunts, Danish director Benjamin Christensen made this unclassifiable film that moves freely between straightforward accounts of witchcraft and alternately eerie and hilarious depictions of orgiastic Satan worship and other sinister deeds. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025

Many of Macy’s interactions have the quality of alternately pushing and easing up—expressing herself honestly and then knowing when to cool off. —Alex Kotlowitz, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025

Combine flour, chocolate chips, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves; add to egg mixture alternately with pumpkin, beating well after each addition. —Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1