alternative
alternative
Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) spelling for alternative in standard American English is:
/ɔlˈtɜrnətɪv/ or /ælˈtɜrnətɪv/
Syllable Breakdown
The word is broken down into four syllables: al-ter-na-tive.
al-: Pronounced /ɔl/ (or /æl/). This sound begins with the vowel in "law" (or "pal") and ends with the /l/ sound.
-ter-: Pronounced /ˈtɜr/. This is the stressed syllable. It consists of a /t/ sound followed by the r-colored vowel /ɜr/, as heard in the word "bird".
-na-: Pronounced /nə/. This is an unstressed syllable with an /n/ sound followed by a schwa /ə/, the unstressed "uh" sound.
-tive: Pronounced /tɪv/. This is an unstressed syllable containing a /t/ sound, a short /ɪ/ vowel as in "kit", and a final /v/ sound.
Word Form Variations
Noun (Singular): alternative
Noun (Plural): alternatives
Adjective: alternative (does not have comparative/superlative forms; "more alternative" or "most alternative" is used)
Adverb: alternatively
Related Verb: alternate (alternates, alternating, alternated)
Related Noun: alternation
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A choice or possibility available out of two or more options.
Synonyms: option, choice, recourse, substitute, possibility, selection.
Antonyms: necessity, requirement, obligation, mandate, imperative.
A person, thing, or idea that represents a departure from what is conventional or mainstream.
Synonyms: nonconformity, counterculture, subculture, fringe.
Antonyms: mainstream, convention, establishment, norm.
Adjective
Referring to a choice that is available in place of another.
Synonyms: different, other, another, substitute, backup, secondary.
Antonyms: primary, sole, only, singular, main, compulsory.
Characterized by being outside of established or traditional norms, often in relation to art, lifestyle, or thought.
Synonyms: unconventional, non-traditional, unorthodox, avant-garde, fringe.
Antonyms: conventional, traditional, mainstream, standard, orthodox.
Examples of Use
In Journalism
Newspapers and online publications frequently use "alternative" to discuss choices available to consumers, voters, or industries, especially concerning technology, energy, and healthcare.
"As the city's public transit system faces budget shortfalls, officials are scrambling to find alternative funding sources to avoid service cuts." (The New York Times, August 2025)
Here, "alternative" refers to other, non-traditional options for solving a problem. Similarly, a technology publication might compare a mainstream product to its competitors:
"For years, there was no real contest in the world of professional photo editing, but several powerful and affordable alternatives are now challenging the industry leader." (The Verge, July 2025)
In Entertainment
The word is prevalent in entertainment, most notably as the name of a major music genre.
Music: The genre of alternative rock (or simply "alternative") was named because it presented a musical and cultural alternative to the highly produced, mainstream pop and rock of the 1980s and 90s. Bands like R.E.M., Nirvana, and The Smashing Pumpkins defined this movement.
Film & Television: In fictional narratives, characters are often faced with a difficult choice or an "alternative" path. A common line in a legal or crime drama might be:
"The prosecutor claims it was a robbery gone wrong. We will present the jury with an alternative theory of the crime, one that points to a different suspect entirely."
In Public Discourse
In everyday conversation and political commentary, "alternative" is used to describe different viewpoints or lifestyles. Two prominent examples include:
Alternative Medicine: This term describes a wide range of healing practices and treatments—such as acupuncture, homeopathy, and herbal remedies—that are not typically part of standard Western medical training.
Alternative Facts: This phrase gained widespread notoriety when it was used by U.S. Counselor to the President, Kellyanne Conway, to defend the White House's false statements about inauguration crowd sizes. It has since become a well-known euphemism for falsehoods presented as a different version of the truth. (Meet the Press, January 2017)
10 Famous Quotes Using Alternative
We have always said that in our war with the Arabs we had a secret weapon—no alternative. (Golda Meir)
Some people don't like change, but you need to embrace change if the alternative is disaster. (Elon Musk)
Moderation is a virtue only in those who are thought to have an alternative. (Henry Kissinger)
The political arena leaves one no alternative, one must either be a dunce or a rogue. (Emma Goldman)
Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative. (Maurice Chevalier)
The clear problem of the outlawing of insult is that too many things can be interpreted as such; criticism, ridicule, sarcasm, merely stating an alternative point of view to the orthodoxy, can be interpreted as insult. (Rowan Atkinson)
For every failure, there's an alternative course of action; you just have to find it. (Mary Kay Ash)
I don't think we have any alternative other than remaining optimistic. (Angela Davis)
You may think of your degree as the ticket to the good life; let me ask you to think of an alternative. (Tom Brokaw)
To me, growing old is great; it's the very best thing—considering the alternative. (Michael Caine)
Etymology
The history of the word alternative is all about the idea of "the other of two."
The word's journey begins in Latin with the word alter, which meant "the other of two." Think of it like having two options in front of you: one option, and the other option. That "other" is alter.
From alter, the Romans created the verb alternare, which meant "to do one thing, then the other," or to go back and forth between two things. This is the same root we use for the word "alternate" today, like when two people alternate turns in a game.
The word alternative itself entered the English language in the 1500s. Its first known use was as an adjective, and its meaning was very strict and literal, based on its Latin root: it described a situation offering a choice between only two things. If a general had two possible paths to take, he had an "alternative." If he had three, the word technically didn't apply back then.
Over the centuries, the meaning softened and expanded. People stopped being so strict about the "of two" part. Today, we use "alternative" to mean any other option or choice, whether there are two possibilities or twenty. But its core DNA still comes from that simple Latin idea of having one choice and "the other."
Phrases + Idioms Containing Alternative
Phrases Using "Alternative"
No alternative but to...: Used to describe a situation where there is only one possible course of action.
Alternative energy: Refers to energy sources that are not fossil fuels, such as solar, wind, or geothermal.
Alternative medicine: A catch-all term for health treatments and therapies, like acupuncture or homeopathy, that are not part of standard Western medical practice.
Alternative lifestyle: A way of living that is not considered mainstream or conventional.
Alternative facts: A controversial phrase meaning falsehoods or a willful misrepresentation of reality.
The only viable alternative: The single most realistic or workable option remaining.
Idioms and Expressions with a Similar Meaning
Plan B: A common term for a backup or secondary plan.
Another string to your bow: Having an additional skill or resource available if the first one fails. 🏹
A different kettle of fish: Describing a situation or choice that is entirely different from the one previously discussed.
More than one way to skin a cat: A proverb indicating that there are multiple methods to achieve a single goal.
A fall-back position: A strategic option or course of action to be used only if the primary plan is unsuccessful.
Hobson's choice: An idiom for a choice that is actually no choice at all—you must either take what is offered or get nothing.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of alternative from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
