optionally

adverb

as in alternatively

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of optionally Users can also optionally use remote/app control to activate the powered hydraulic legs for mounting the camper to the truck. — New Atlas, 15 July 2026 Avast’s Data Recovery scan starts by asking which disk to check and optionally accepts a filename or file type. — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 24 June 2026 The 16-way adjustable sport seats are standard, while performance seats shelled in carbon fiber—presenting more aggressive thigh and shoulder bolsters—are optionally available. — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 8 May 2026 Built for autonomous and networked warfare One of the XM30’s defining features is its optionally manned capability. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026 Many Americans falsely conflate Sikh turbans, which are religious garments worn by men to protect their uncut hair and considered mandatory for everyday wear, with turbans worn by Muslims optionally and largely for cultural reasons. — Susie Neilson, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Mar. 2026 Holes can be cut in the fabric to insert garden plants, and optionally the fabric can be covered with mulch to hide it. — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for optionally
  1. alternatively
  2. either
  3. instead
  4. alternately
Adverb
  • Cecchi recommends visiting from April to June or alternatively in September or October, when the weather is pleasant and the city feels slightly less crowded.
    — Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • For individuals whose symptoms persist despite medication, surgery may alternatively offer significant relief.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Definition of alternatively
Adverb
  • But the switch from an anything goes summer sleep schedule to a morning routine that requires waking up at what feels like the crack of dawn to get to school on time doesn’t help matters, either.
    — Parents, Parents, 17 July 2026
  • Making the four tournament days tougher was never the primary objective, either, even if those connected with the club are naturally hoping the conditions keep scores in check.
    — Gregg Evans, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of either
Adverb
  • England were 1-0 up in Atlanta with just five minutes left before conceding two late goals which sent Argentina to Sunday’s World Cup final instead.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • So, his company has turned instead to an app, Zello, run by a private company, which notifies locals of Russian drones flying nearby.
    — Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
Definition of instead
Adverb
  • The trailer finds the film’s protagonists alternately hunting or fleeing the vicious creature — or creatures — through a tattered town known as Hope Harbor, a remote coastal village near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in South Korea.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2026
  • The fun part of this recipe is poking holes in the cake and then spooning in the blueberry and strawberry fillings alternately to create the red, white, and blue effect.
    — Brennan Long, Southern Living, 3 July 2026
Definition of alternately

Browse Nearby Words

optional
optionally
options
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Cite this Entry

“Optionally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/optionally. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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