alternate
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to happen or do something in turns, switching from one thing to another and back again.
v.to occur or perform in a repeated, reciprocal succession. Often used with the preposition 'between' or 'with'.
Simple“The weather seemed to alternate between rain and sunshine all afternoon.”
In context“The director chose to alternate between close-up shots of the protagonist and wide-angle views of the desolate landscape to emphasize her isolation.”
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.every second thing in a series, or happening one after the other in a pattern.
adj.occurring by turns or in a series where members regularly intervene between others; every second member of a sequence.
Simple“The club meets on alternate Saturdays, so we have a break every other week.”
In context“The pattern required the weaver to use alternate strands of silk and wool to achieve the desired textural contrast in the final fabric.”
Synonymsevery othersequentialAntonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.another option or a different way of doing something.
adj.serving as an alternative or a different choice. Primarily used in American English where British English might prefer 'alternative'.
Simple“If the main road is closed, we will have to find an alternate route.”
In context“The committee proposed an alternate plan for the park's renovation after the initial design was rejected for being over budget.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
n.a person who is ready to take the place of someone else if they cannot attend.
n.a person designated to take the place of another in a specific duty or role if the primary individual is unavailable.
Simple“She was chosen as an alternate for the national debate team.”
In context“The delegation included three primary members and one alternate who was required to attend all briefings in case a substitution became necessary.”
Synonyms - 05 C2 Proficiency
adj.leaves that grow at different levels on a stem rather than in pairs.
adj.describing leaves or buds that are arranged singly at different heights along a stem.
Simple“You can identify this plant by its alternate leaves that zigzag up the branch.”
In context“The species is easily distinguished from its relatives by its alternate leaf phyllotaxy, whereas most other plants in the genus exhibit opposite growth.”
Antonyms
alternate vs alternative — Alternate describes things that happen in turns or every other day, while alternative describes a different choice or possibility.
“I’ve been setting a puzzle here on alternate Mondays since 2015.”
“But there's been minimal discussion of alternate locations.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.