alternate

[ verb awl-ter-neyt, al-; adjective, noun awl-ter-nit, al- ]

/ verb ˈɔl tərˌneɪt, ˈæl-; adjective, noun ˈɔl tər nɪt, ˈæl- /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR alternate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), al·ter·nat·ed, al·ter·nat·ing.

to interchange repeatedly and regularly with one another in time or place; rotate (usually followed by with): Day alternates with night.

to change back and forth between conditions, states, actions, etc.: He alternates between hope and despair.

to take turns: My sister and I alternated in doing the dishes.

Electricity. to reverse direction or sign periodically.

Linguistics. to occur as a variant in alternation with another form.

verb (used with object), al·ter·nat·ed, al·ter·nat·ing.

to perform or do in succession or one after another: to alternate comedy acts; to alternate jogging and walking.

to interchange successively or regularly: to alternate hot and cold compresses.

adjective

being in a constant state of succession or rotation; interchanged repeatedly one for another: Winter and summer are alternate seasons.

reciprocal; mutual: alternate acts of kindness.

every second one of a series: Read only the alternate lines.

constituting an alternative: The alternate route is more scenic.

alternative(defs 4, 6).

Botany.

placed singly at different heights on the axis, on each side in succession, or at definite angular distances from one another, as leaves.
opposite to the intervals between other organs: petals alternate with sepals.

noun

a person authorized to fill the position, exercise the duties, etc., of another who is temporarily absent; substitute.

Theater.

either of two actors who take turns playing the same role.
an understudy.

alternative.

Origin of alternate

First recorded in 1505–15, alternate is from the Latin word alternātus (past participle of alternāre). See altern, -ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM alternate

al·ter·nate·ly, adverb al·ter·nate·ness, noun al·ter·nat·ing·ly, adverb non·al·ter·nat·ing, adjective

qua·si-al·ter·nat·ing, adjective qua·si-al·ter·nat·ing·ly, adverb un·al·ter·nat·ed, adjective un·al·ter·nat·ing, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH alternate

alternate alternative

Words nearby alternate

altered chord, altered state of consciousness, altern, alternans, alternant, alternate, alternate angles, alternate binaural loudness balance test, alternate cover test, alternate hemianesthesia, alternate host

Example sentences from the Web for alternate

In the absence of typical classrooms and curriculums, West Africans have opted for alternate methods of learning and education.

The Radio Battle to Educate Ebola’s Kids |Abby Haglage |December 11, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Then at least the American public would have been getting an alternate theory of the case about Keystone.

For Obama, Hell Week Has Arrived |Michael Tomasky |November 15, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Underneath, a miniature version of the bug-crazy man is revealed, himself thwacking away in an alternate dimension.

‘Interstellar’ Is Wildly Ambitious, Very Flawed, and Absolutely Worth Seeing |Marlow Stern |November 7, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The other two are da—meaning father—and te—an alternate spelling of ti.

Well, La Ti Da: Stephin Merritt’s Winning Little Words of Scrabble |David Bukszpan |October 11, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Other new admissions to the dictionary include qayaq—an alternate spelling of kayak—and thongy.

Well, La Ti Da: Stephin Merritt’s Winning Little Words of Scrabble |David Bukszpan |October 11, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It is by the alternate movement of these mandibles that the caterpillars devour the leaves with so much greediness and ease.

The Insect World |Louis Figuier
Alternate and antagonistic bargaining went on thus for more than two months.

A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times |Francois Pierre Guillaume Guizot
During the alternate periods of elevation and of stationary level the record will be blank.

On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection |Charles Darwin
He wondered if it were still the same excitement that sent the alternate flush and pallor up her cheek.

Atlantic Monthly, Volume 6, No. 38, December, 1860 |Various
Then alternate between the players, in the same manner, until you have played out the game.

Practical Mind-Reading |William Walker Atkinson

British Dictionary definitions for alternate

alternate

verb (ˈɔːltəˌneɪt)

(often foll by with) to occur or cause to occur successively or by turns day and night alternate

(intr often foll by between) to swing repeatedly from one condition, action, etc, to another he alternates between success and failure

(tr) to interchange regularly or in succession

(intr) (of an electric current, voltage, etc) to reverse direction or sign at regular intervals, usually sinusoidally, the instantaneous value varying continuously

(intr often foll by for) theatre to understudy another actor or actress

adjective (ɔːlˈtɜːnɪt)

occurring by turns alternate feelings of love and hate

every other or second one of a series he came to work on alternate days

being a second or further choice; alternative alternate director

botany

(of leaves, flowers, etc) arranged singly at different heights on either side of the stem
(of parts of a flower) arranged opposite the spaces between other partsCompare opposite (def. 4)

noun (ˈɔːltənɪt, ɔːlˈtɜːnɪt)

US and Canadian a person who substitutes for another in his absence; stand-in

Word Origin for alternate

C16: from Latin alternāre to do one thing and then another, from alternus one after the other, from alter other

Scientific definitions for alternate

alternate

[ ôl′tər-nĭt ]

Arranged singly at intervals on a stem or twig. Elms, birches, oaks, cherry trees, and hickory trees have alternate leaves. Compare opposite.

Arranged regularly between other parts, as stamens between petals on a flower.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

alternate

verb (used without object), al·ter·nat·ed, al·ter·nat·ing.