alternation

[ awl-ter-ney-shuh n, al- ]
/ ˌɔl tərˈneɪ ʃən, ˌæl- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR alternation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act or process of alternating or the state of being alternated.
alternate succession; repeated rotation: the alternation of the seasons.
Electricity. a single fluctuation in the absolute value of an alternating current or voltage from zero to a maximum and back to zero, being equal to one half cycle.
Linguistics. variation in the form of a linguistic unit as it occurs in different environments or under different conditions, as between the -ed and -en forms of the past participle in danced and spoken or between the (t) and (d) pronunciations of the past tense suffix -ed in hopped and rubbed.

Origin of alternation

First recorded in 1605–15, alternation is from the Late Latin word alternātiōn- (stem of alternātiō). See alternate, -ion

Words nearby alternation

alternating pulse, alternating series, alternating tremor, alternating voltage, alternating-gradient focusing, alternation, alternation of generations, alternation of heart, alternative, alternative conjunction, alternative curriculum

Words related to alternation

interchange, rotation, variation, shift, transposition

Example sentences from the Web for alternation

British Dictionary definitions for alternation

alternation
/ (ˌɔːltəˈneɪʃən) /

noun

successive change from one condition or action to another and back again repeatedly
logic another name for disjunction (def. 3)

Medical definitions for alternation

alternation
[ ôl′tər-nā′shən, ăl′- ]

n.

Successive change from one thing or state to another and back again.