alternative

/ȯl-ˈtər-nə-tiv/

borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French alternatif "occurring by turns, alternating," borrowed from Medieval Latin alternātīvus, from Latin alternātus, past participle of alternāre "to ebb and flow, act in alternation, arrange in alternating order" + -īvus -ive

adjective

  1. offering or expressing a choice

  2. different from the usual or conventional: such as

  3. existing or functioning outside the established cultural, social, or economic system

several alternative plans

noun

  1. a proposition or situation offering a choice between two or more things only one of which may be chosen

  2. an opportunity for deciding between two or more courses or propositions

  3. one of two or more things, courses, or propositions to be chosen

a government facing the alternative of high taxes or poor highways

the alternative of going by train or by plane

choice option alternative preference selection election mean the act or opportunity of choosing or the thing chosen. choice suggests the opportunity or privilege of choosing freely. option implies a power to choose that is specifically granted or guaranteed.

noun

  1. alt-country