alternating

1 of 2

adjective

al·​ter·​nat·​ing ˈȯl-tər-ˌnā-tiŋ 

also ˈal-

: occurring by turns or in succession

a fabric with alternating red and blue stripes

… they lacked experience with volcanoes such as St. Helens, a composite of alternating layers of ash and lava.

—Rowe Findley

alternatingly adverb

Alternatingly, place small mounds of the fennel and cabbage on each plate …

—Owen Dugan

alternating

2 of 2

present participle of alternate entry 2

Examples of alternating in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Our bodies are designed to perform these activities in a balanced, alternating and reciprocal pattern. — Dana Santas, CNN, 6 Dec. 2022

In the past, shipping electricity many hundreds of miles over conventional alternating-current lines wasn’t economical because of power losses that mounted rapidly the longer the distance. — Phred Dvorak, WSJ, 7 Mar. 2022

The case and bracelet on both models have are stain-brushed and polished in an alternating fashion right down to the folding clasp. — Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2022

District 203 Superintendent Dan Bridges said early childhood students in full-day preschool will begin returning to their schools on an alternating-day basis beginning Thursday. — Rafael Guerrero, chicagotribune.com, 3 Nov. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of alternate entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

1653, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing alternating

• alternating current
• alternating group
• alternating series

Rhymes for alternating

• abdicating
• abrogating
• activating
• actuating
• advocating
• aggravating
• aggregating
• agitating
• allocating
• animating
• annotating
• antedating