ENGLISH
REFERENCE

alternatively

adv.
US //ɔɫˈtɝnətɪvɫi// UK //ɔːltˈɜːnətˌɪvli// al·ter·na·tive·ly
  1. 1 introducing another option (adv.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    used to suggest another possibility or a different choice.

    used to introduce a second or subsequent possibility, often as a mutually exclusive choice.

    Example

    We could take the train to the city; alternatively, we could drive and park at the station.

    Example

    The company could invest in new hardware immediately; alternatively, it could wait for the next generation of processors to be released in the spring.

    Usage

    typically used at the beginning of a sentence or clause to link two ideas.

    Teacher's tip

    this is a useful transition word for academic writing and formal emails when presenting multiple solutions to a problem.
Origin

From alternative + -ly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 20, 2026