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alternative

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.04 sec.
al·ter·na·tive  (ôl-tûrn-tv, l-)
n.
1.
a. The choice between two mutually exclusive possibilities.
b. A situation presenting such a choice.
c. Either of these possibilities. See Synonyms at choice.
2. Usage Problem One of a number of things from which one must be chosen.
adj.
1. Allowing or necessitating a choice between two or more things.
2.
a. Existing outside traditional or established institutions or systems: an alternative lifestyle.
b. Espousing or reflecting values that are different from those of the establishment or mainstream: an alternative newspaper; alternative greeting cards.
3. Usage Problem Substitute or different; other.

al·terna·tive·ly adv.
Usage Note: Some traditionalists hold that alternative should be used only in situations where the number of choices involved is exactly two, because of the word's historical relation to Latin alter, "the other of two." Despite the word's longstanding use to mean "one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen" and the acceptance of this usage by many language critics, a substantial portion of the Usage Panel adheres to the traditional view, with only 49 percent accepting the sentence Of the three alternatives, the first is the least distasteful. · Alternative is also sometimes used to refer to a variant or substitute in cases where there is no element of choice involved, as in We will do our best to secure alternative employment for employees displaced by the closing of the factory. This sentence is unacceptable to 60 percent of the Usage Panel. · Alternative should not be confused with alternate. Correct usage requires The class will meet on alternate (not alternative) Tuesdays.

alternative
Noun
1. a possibility of choice between two or more things
2. either or any of such choices
Adjective
1. presenting a choice between two or more possibilities
2. of a lifestyle etc. that is less conventional or materialistic than is usual
alternatively adv

See: variant.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.alternative - one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen; "what option did I have?"; "there no other alternative"; "my only choice is to refuse"
deciding, decision making - the cognitive process of reaching a decision; "a good executive must be good at decision making"
obverse - the more conspicuous of two alternatives or cases or sides; "the obverse of this issue"
druthers, preference - the right or chance to choose; "given my druthers, I'd eat cake"
default option, default - an option that is selected automatically unless an alternative is specified
possible action, possibility, opening - a possible alternative; "bankruptcy is always a possibility"
impossible action, impossibility - an alternative that is not available
Hobson's choice - the choice of taking what is offered or nothing at all
soft option - an easier alternative; "the instructor took the soft option and gave the boy a passing grade"
Adj.1.alternative - serving or used in place of another; "an alternative plan"
secondary - being of second rank or importance or value; not direct or immediate; "the stone will be hauled to a secondary crusher"; "a secondary source"; "a secondary issue"; "secondary streams"
2.alternative - necessitating a choice between mutually exclusive possibilities; "alternative possibilities were neutrality or war"
disjunctive - serving or tending to divide or separate
3.alternative - pertaining to unconventional choices; "an alternative life style"
unconventional - not conventional or conformist; "unconventional life styles"

alternative
Translations
alternative [ɔlˈtəːnətɪv] adjalternativo

alternative [ɔlˈtəːnətɪv] adj [solution, plan] → autre, de remplacement; [energy] → doux(douce); [lifestyle] → parallèle
n (= choice) → alternative f (= other possibility); autre possibilité f;
alternative medicine → médecine alternative, médecine douce

alternative [ɔlˈtəːnətɪv] adjalternativ;
(solution etc) → Alternativ-
nAlternative f

alternative [ɔlˈtəːnətɪv] adj [solutions] → alternativo/a; [solution] → altro/a
n (= choice) → alternativa (= other possibility); altra possibilità

alternative
adj alternative [oːlˈtəːnətiv]
offering a choice of a second possibility An alternative arrangement can be made if my plans don't suit you. alternatief بَدِيل алтернативен jiný alternativ alternativ εναλλακτικός alternativo alterna- tiivne دیگر؛ ثانوی vaihtoehtoinen autre חֲלוּפִי वैकल्पिक alternativni alternatív alternatif sem um er að velja, annar (kostur) alternativo 代りの 대신의, 양자 택일의 alternatyvus alternatīvs; izvēles- pilihan lain alternatief alternativ alternatywny alternativo alt альтернативный alternatívny drugačen alternativan annan, alternativ- สำรอง başka, öbür, alternatif 可供替換的 альтернативний متبادل طور پر có thể lựa chọn
n
a choice between two (or sometimes more) things or possibilities You leave me no alternative but to dismiss you; I don't like fish. Is there an alternative on the menu? alternatief, ander keuse خَيار بَيْن إثْنَين избор jiná možnost alternativ; valg die Alternative εναλλακτική λύση alternativa valikuvõimalus چاره؛ گزینه vaihtoehto alternative חֲלוּפָה, בְּרֵרָה विकल्प alternativa választás(i lehetőség) alternatif valkostur alternativa 二者択一 양자 택일, 대안 alternatyva, kitas pasirinkimas alternatīva; izvēle pilihan alternatief valg, alternativ alternatywa, inna możliwość alternativa alter­nativă альтернатива iná možnosť (druga) izbira alternativa alternativ, val ทางเลือก 兩者挑一 альтернатива, вибір متبادل sự lựa chọn
adv alˈternatively
alternatiewelik بِصُورَة بَدِيلَه алтернативно jinak, nebo alternativt anderenfalls εναλλακτικά o bien, alternativamente teisel juhul متناوباً vaihtoehtoisesti sinon, ou bien לְחֲלוּפִין विकल्पत: alternativno vagylagosan bergantian annars, að öðrum kosti alternativamente 選択的に 양자 택일하여, 달리 arba alternatīvi dengan plihan lain anders alternativt w przeciwnym wypadku doutro modo dacă nu, în loc альтернативно alebo drugače, sicer pa alternativno alternativt โดยมีทางเลือก yoksa, aksi halde 兩者挑一地 альтернативно باری باری ، متبادل طور پر như một sự lựa chọn


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
Johnson vows that if I persist in the connection, he will settle in the country for the rest of his life, and you know it is impossible to submit to such an extremity while any other alternative remains.
May there not be the alternative, I said, that we may persuade you to let us go?
Had the convention taken the first method of adopting the second article of Confederation, it is evident that the new Congress would be continually exposed, as their predecessors have been, to the alternative of construing the term "EXPRESSLY" with so much rigor, as to disarm the government of all real authority whatever, or with so much latitude as to destroy altogether the force of the restriction.
 
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