Word
alternatively
Phoneticsal·ter·na·tive·ly
US/ɔɫˈtɝnətɪvɫi/
UK/ɔːltˈɜːnətˌɪvli/
Definition
adv. used to suggest another possibility or a different choice.
adv. used to introduce a second or subsequent possibility, often as a mutually exclusive choice.
Examples
“We could go to the cinema; alternatively, we could stay home.”
“You can submit your application online; alternatively, you may post a physical copy to our head office.”
“The board may choose to reinvest the surplus into research and development; alternatively, they could distribute it as a dividend to shareholders at the end of the fiscal year.”
Examples
simple
“We could go to the cinema; alternatively, we could stay home.”
contextual
“You can submit your application online; alternatively, you may post a physical copy to our head office.”
complex
“The board may choose to reinvest the surplus into research and development; alternatively, they could distribute it as a dividend to shareholders at the end of the fiscal year.”
Usage
typically used at the beginning of a sentence or clause to link two ideas.
Teaching tip
this is a useful transition word for academic writing and formal emails when presenting multiple solutions to a problem.
Real-World Examples
“Alternatively, pretend that a friend is in a similar situation and reflect on their problem instead.” “Alternatively, students get 15% off the cost of the card via Student Beans and UNiDAYS – typically it’s £35 a year.” Etymology
From alternative + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Collocations
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/alternatively