Skip to content
Word a Day by Lyravant

Word a Day

alternative

noun · /ɔlˈtɝnətɪv/ · Level 1 · Starter

What does alternative mean?

alternative (noun): one of several mutually exclusive things which can be chosen.

Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

How do you pronounce alternative?

/ɔlˈtɝnətɪv/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.

Where does alternative come from?

From Middle French alternatif, from Medieval Latin alternātīvus (“alternating”), from the participle stem of Latin alternō (“interchange, alternate”).

Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Test yourself: do you know “alternative”?

Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.

What does “alternative” mean?

one of several mutually exclusive things which can be chosen

Right! That's what “alternative” means.

the dimensions or magnitude of a thing; how big something is

Not quite: that's what size means.

the act of giving something in return for something received

Not quite: that's what exchange means.

a unit of time of one twenty-fourth of a day (sixty minutes)

Not quite: that's what hour means.

Learn a word like “alternative” every day

Word a Day for iPhone quizzes you on a few new words a day and brings each one back for review at growing intervals. Free, no account, no ads.

Coming soon to the App Store