alternation

noun al·ter·na·tion \ ˌȯl-tər-ˈnā-shən also ˌal- \

Definition of alternation

1 a :the act or process of alternating or causing to alternate

b :alternating occurrence :succession

2 :inclusive disjunction

3 :the occurrence of different allomorphs or allophones

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Recent Examples of alternation from the Web

That jersey will also feature an all-black collar, the lone alternation to that look.

— jim owczarski, Cincinnati.com, "Walkthru: Tracking the Bengals 2017 uniform changes," 1 Aug. 2017
That alternation began when one man threw a brick into the windshield of another man’s parked Cadillac, Iredell County deputies said.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "Cookout turns awkward when NC man pulls gun, robs fellow guest, police say," 20 June 2017
If the pieces do well at the stores, the owners will ask for more the next year, or one with certain alternations, depending on what customers are saying.

— john tuohy, USA TODAY, "'Swedish magic': IKEA research tailors furniture to your taste," 21 May 2017
The study found that any alternation to the Cupid's bow resulted in the narrowest margin for artificial appearance.

— lauren valenti, Marie Claire, "Because You've Been Wondering: This Is How to Tell If Someone's Had Lip Injections," 12 Apr. 2017
There were a few accidental double stops in the faster passages that involve rapid alternation between strings, and notes on the C string occasionally sounded raspy.

— paul hodgins, Orange County Register, "Laguna Beach Music Festival opens with solo cello concert," 11 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alternation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of alternation

15th century

ALTERNATION Defined for Kids

alternation

noun al·ter·na·tion \ ˌȯl-tər-ˈnā-shən \

Definition of alternation for Students

:the act, process, or result of taking place by turns

alternation of light and dark

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See words that rhyme with alternation Spanish Central: Translation of alternation Nglish: Translation of alternation for Spanish speakers

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alternation

Definition of alternation

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ALTERNATION Defined for Kids

alternation

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