Alternate

/ˈɔːltərnɪt/

Meaning & Definition

noun

one that substitutes for another; an alternative.

He served as the alternate for the main speaker at the conference.

verb

to cause to occur in succession or rotate; to interchange.

You can alternate between running and walking for better endurance.

to change back and forth; to switch.

They will alternate their schedules to cover for each other.

adjective

available as another option or choice; different or alternative.

She decided to take the alternate route to avoid traffic.

occurring by turns; every other.

The team played on alternate days to give players enough rest.

from Latin alternatus, from alternare 'to do by turns'.

alternate route:

a different way to reach a destination, often to avoid obstacles.

alternate days:

occurring every other day.

alternate universe:

a hypothetical world that differs from our own in some facts or events.

to switch between options casually.

I’m just going to alternate between coffee and tea today.

to change things up frequently.

We like to alternate our hangout spots every week.