alternate

Meaning

Adj

1. (not-comparable) Happening by turns; one following the other in succession of time or place; first one and then the other (repeatedly).
2. (not-comparable) Happening by turns; one following the other in succession of time or place; first one and then the other (repeatedly).
3. (not-comparable) Designating the members in a series, which regularly intervene between the members of another series, as the odd or even numbers of the numerals; every other; every second.
4. (US, not-comparable) Other; alternative.
5. (not-comparable) Distributed singly at different heights of the stem, and at equal intervals as respects angular divergence

Noun

1. That which alternates with something else; vicissitude.
2. (US) A substitute; an alternative; one designated to take the place of another, if necessary, in performing some duty.
3. A proportion derived from another proportion by interchanging the means.
4. (US) A replacement of equal or greater value or function.

Verb

1. (transitive) To perform by turns, or in succession; to cause to succeed by turns; to interchange regularly.
2. (intransitive) To happen, succeed, or act by turns; to follow reciprocally in place or time; followed by with.
3. (intransitive) To vary by turns.
4. (transitive) To perform an alternation (removal of alternate vertices) on (a polytope or tessellation); to remove vertices (from a face or edge) as part of an alternation.

Synonyms

take turns

substitute

rotate

interchange

alternating

alternative

deputy

switch

rotating

change

understudy

vary

replacement

proxy

surrogate

attorney

modify

agent

alternation

every other

interlace

mutual

variable

alter

exchange

tack

diversify

flip

reciprocal

flip-flop

fluctuate

hesitate

crisscross

shift

second

2nd

representative

jump

double

stagger

stand by

switch off

temporary

change about

trade

turn

vacillate

variegate

variegated

fill-in

locum

Translations

alterner

alternar

abwechselnd

alternare

alternatif

alternato

alternieren

alterno

alterno

alternar

alterné

alternar

afwisselend

wechseln

alternativo

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɒl.ˈtɜː(ɹ).nət/

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin alternātus, the perfect passive participle of Latin alternō (“to take turns”) (see -ate (1,2 and 3)), from alternus (“one after another, by turns”), from alter (“other”) + -nus. Doublet of altern; see also alter.