Synonyms for alternative
ɔlˈtɜr nə tɪv, æl-al·ter·na·tive

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.0 / 2 votes

1. alternative

   A choice may be among many things; an alternative is in the strictest sense a choice between two things; oftener it is one of two things between which a choice is to be made, and either of which is the alternative of the other; as, the alternative of surrender is death; or the two things between which there is a choice may be called the alternatives; both Mill and Gladstone are quoted as extending the meaning of alternative to include several particulars, Gladstone even speaking of "the fourth and last of these alternatives." Option is the right or privilege of choosing; choice may be either the right to choose, the act of choosing, or the thing chosen. A person of ability and readiness will commonly have many resources. Pick, from the Saxon, and election, from the Latin, picture the objects before one, with freedom and power to choose which he will; as, there were twelve horses, among which I could take my pick. A choice, pick, election, or preference is that which suits one best; an alternative is that to which one is restricted; a resource, that to which one is glad to betake oneself.

   Synonyms:
   choice, election, option, pick, preference, resource

   Antonyms:
   compulsion, necessity

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. alternative

   Synonyms:
   choice, resource, opinion

   Antonyms:
   compulsion, quandary, necessity, fix

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:1.5 / 2 votes

1. option, alternative, choiceadjective

   one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen

   "what option did I have?"; "there no other alternative"; "my only choice is to refuse"

   Synonyms:
   choice, selection, option, pick

   Antonyms:
   conjunctive, conventional, primary

2. alternate, alternative, substituteadjective

   serving or used in place of another

   "an alternative plan"

   Synonyms:
   alternate, alternating(a), utility(a), ersatz, alternate(a), substitute(a), substitute

   Antonyms:
   conventional, primary, conjunctive

3. alternativeadjective

   necessitating a choice between mutually exclusive possibilities

   "alternative possibilities were neutrality or war"

   Synonyms:
   substitute, alternate

   Antonyms:
   conventional, primary, conjunctive

4. alternativeadjective

   pertaining to unconventional choices

   "an alternative life style"

   Synonyms:
   substitute, alternate

   Antonyms:
   primary, conjunctive, conventional

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. alternativenoun

   Synonyms:
   choice (between two things)

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:5.0 / 1 vote

1. List of paraphrases for "alternative":

   alternatives, alternate, variant, replacement, shadow, option, substitute, substitution, other, spare, alternativo, alternativa, surrogate, parallel, reciprocating, choice, different, solution, alternativas, alternating, makeshift, tabbed, choices, replace, various, workaround, lieu

How to pronounce alternative?

How to say alternative in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

1. [["1515","33"],["1524","2"],["1563","1"],["1564","1"],["1572","1"],["1574","3"],["1575","2"],["1584","5"],["1590","8"],["1600","41"],["1607","1"],["1637","1"],["1643","2"],["1644","1"],["1648","1"],["1649","2"],["1659","1"],["1662","1"],["1664","1"],["1673","2"],["1679","1"],["1680","4"],["1682","2"],["1683","5"],["1685","4"],["1687","4"],["1688","1"],["1690","1"],["1692","1"],["1693","1"],["1696","1"],["1698","1"],["1700","1"],["1701","3"],["1702","2"],["1703","1"],["1705","1"],["1706","4"],["1707","3"],["1708","5"],["1709","3"],["1710","3"],["1711","3"],["1712","1"],["1713","4"],["1714","1"],["1715","3"],["1716","5"],["1717","4"],["1719","1"],["1720","4"],["1721","8"],["1722","4"],["1723","2"],["1724","3"],["1725","3"],["1726","9"],["1727","1"],["1728","5"],["1730","6"],["1731","13"],["1732","9"],["1733","7"],["1734","10"],["1735","4"],["1736","2"],["1737","5"],["1738","5"],["1739","12"],["1740","11"],["1741","3"],["1742","6"],["1743","6"],["1744","4"],["1745","4"],["1746","9"],["1747","10"],["1748","11"],["1749","12"],["1750","22"],["1751","27"],["1752","29"],["1753","19"],["1754","95"],["1755","24"],["1756","19"],["1757","103"],["1758","72"],["1759","103"],["1760","27"],["1761","69"],["1762","40"],["1763","69"],["1764","71"],["1765","40"],["1766","91"],["1767","91"],["1768","86"],["1769","55"],["1770","82"],["1771","62"],["1772","40"],["1773","86"],["1774","100"],["1775","128"],["1776","95"],["1777","79"],["1778","104"],["1779","89"],["1780","123"],["1781","130"],["1782","109"],["1783","143"],["1784","134"],["1785","146"],["1786","211"],["1787","255"],["1788","310"],["1789","242"],["1790","258"],["1791","230"],["1792","292"],["1793","295"],["1794","211"],["1795","331"],["1796","427"],["1797","323"],["1798","373"],["1799","405"],["1800","466"],["1801","554"],["1802","863"],["1803","681"],["1804","930"],["1805","756"],["1806","917"],["1807","1018"],["1808","760"],["1809","753"],["1810","820"],["1811","1164"],["1812","791"],["1813","954"],["1814","1507"],["1815","1333"],["1816","1340"],["1817","1523"],["1818","1586"],["1819","1316"],["1820","1983"],["1821","1678"],["1822","1853"],["1823","1758"],["1824","2248"],["1825","2484"],["1826","1951"],["1827","2677"],["1828","3038"],["1829","2967"],["1830","2600"],["1831","2698"],["1832","3363"],["1833","3279"],["1834","3165"],["1835","3520"],["1836","4174"],["1837","3406"],["1838","3590"],["1839","3975"],["1840","3862"],["1841","3670"],["1842","3087"],["1843","4543"],["1844","3967"],["1845","4344"],["1846","4657"],["1847","4331"],["1848","4444"],["1849","4609"],["1850","4848"],["1851","5004"],["1852","5380"],["1853","7298"],["1854","6680"],["1855","5987"],["1856","6574"],["1857","6124"],["1858","6103"],["1859","6069"],["1860","6968"],["1861","5068"],["1862","4425"],["1863","4402"],["1864","5285"],["1865","5722"],["1866","6422"],["1867","5681"],["1868","5506"],["1869","4641"],["1870","5659"],["1871","5416"],["1872","5755"],["1873","5742"],["1874","6907"],["1875","6513"],["1876","6440"],["1877","6975"],["1878","5938"],["1879","6057"],["1880","7580"],["1881","7812"],["1882","8143"],["1883","9313"],["1884","9515"],["1885","9071"],["1886","7830"],["1887","8340"],["1888","9253"],["1889","7948"],["1890","9168"],["1891","8838"],["1892","10233"],["1893","9227"],["1894","9455"],["1895","10427"],["1896","11233"],["1897","9989"],["1898","11301"],["1899","11999"],["1900","13636"],["1901","13146"],["1902","14695"],["1903","13335"],["1904","14179"],["1905","14410"],["1906","16634"],["1907","15696"],["1908","16656"],["1909","14252"],["1910","14743"],["1911","16355"],["1912","17378"],["1913","15611"],["1914","15709"],["1915","13629"],["1916","13717"],["1917","13669"],["1918","13654"],["1919","15326"],["1920","19691"],["1921","18476"],["1922","18843"],["1923","17076"],["1924","15045"],["1925","15702"],["1926","14389"],["1927","17636"],["1928","18540"],["1929","17462"],["1930","20258"],["1931","18349"],["1932","18949"],["1933","17276"],["1934","21030"],["1935","21595"],["1936","22152"],["1937","23022"],["1938","26411"],["1939","25125"],["1940","22964"],["1941","23089"],["1942","21227"],["1943","17170"],["1944","16838"],["1945","19658"],["1946","30447"],["1947","30674"],["1948","36787"],["1949","40239"],["1950","45839"],["1951","45704"],["1952","45204"],["1953","46972"],["1954","46574"],["1955","51093"],["1956","54284"],["1957","61415"],["1958","64760"],["1959","68213"],["1960","82069"],["1961","92507"],["1962","103516"],["1963","109301"],["1964","111958"],["1965","128940"],["1966","141669"],["1967","156488"],["1968","177782"],["1969","174320"],["1970","194460"],["1971","214599"],["1972","220035"],["1973","235008"],["1974","229692"],["1975","253595"],["1976","259530"],["1977","276083"],["1978","279722"],["1979","301562"],["1980","310077"],["1981","317220"],["1982","336131"],["1983","337546"],["1984","361918"],["1985","368192"],["1986","392878"],["1987","396375"],["1988","418157"],["1989","446342"],["1990","484176"],["1991","464147"],["1992","519028"],["1993","515122"],["1994","555330"],["1995","579052"],["1996","599994"],["1997","629106"],["1998","648981"],["1999","681486"],["2000","765101"],["2001","771977"],["2002","848728"],["2003","886530"],["2004","915957"],["2005","927048"],["2006","956771"],["2007","957454"],["2008","911002"]]

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use alternative in a sentence?

1. Dan Larhammer:

   The most important risk is that people and patients rely on unproven methods and refrain from using evidence-based methods, patients lose time and money by relying on useless methods that can, at best, provide placebo response which is usually transient. Some alternative medicine methods, including TCM, involve side effects, especially herbal extracts.

2. Lewis S Feuer:

   Wherever a set of alternative possible routes toward achieving a given end presents itself, a student movement will tend to choose the one which involves a higher measure of violence or humiliation directed against the older generation.

3. Martin Pavelka:

   In my opinion, I don’t think they really get the concept of allergies and alternative meals.

4. Amit Mehta:

   Regionalizing is not a fair alternative, why should that group of customers have to incur the costs of regionalizing ? ... There is a reason for them to sole source.

5. Michael Noll:

   If you know anything about diesel engines, they produce pollution that is harmful for the environment or for humans just the same way, we have found smart ways to produce alternative diesel, but we have not found smart ways to avoid pollution.