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alternatively
/ɔlˈtɜrnətɪvli/
another option
You can pay with cash; alternatively, use a credit card.
This shows a second choice for payment.
neutral
as another option or possibility
The train is full; alternatively, you could take the bus.
This suggests another way to travel.
She might come early; alternatively, she could arrive late.
This presents two possible scenarios.
Used to introduce a second choice or possibility, often contrasting with the first option.
Collocations
alternatively speakingin other wordsor alternativelyused to introduce a different option
Pro Tip
Usage in Lists
Use 'alternatively' to introduce a second option in a list, especially when the first option is mentioned earlier in the sentence.
Gold Rule
Contrast with Alternatives
Always use 'alternatively' to contrast two different options, not to list similar ones.
Word Origin
From Latin 'alternativus', meaning 'one after another', from 'alternare' (to do by turns), from 'alternus' (every other). The adverb form entered English in the 16th century.
Usage Notes
Commonly used in formal and informal contexts to present an alternative. Often follows a semicolon or period in writing.
Word Breakdown
alternate
to switch between options
root-ive
relating to
suffix-ly
in the manner of
suffixEnglish Dictionary