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

Lay half of strips lengthwise over jam mixture, spacing evenly, then arrange remaining strips crosswise across, working alternately over and under lengthwise strips to create a lattice pattern (leave barely any space between strips so top is completely covered). —Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026

The results can seem alternately astounding and amateurish. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026

With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to shortening mixture, in 3 additions, alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat until just combined after each addition. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2026

This part of the state is mostly scrubland, alternately windswept and sunbaked. —Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1