- (a.) Being or succeeding by turns; one following the other in succession of time or place; by turns first one and then the other; hence, reciprocal.
- (a.) Distributed, as leaves, singly at different heights of the stem, and at equal intervals as respects angular divergence.
- (v.i.) To vary by turns; as, the land alternates between rocky hills and sandy plains.
- (n.) A substitute; one designated to take the place of another, if necessary, in performing some duty.
- (v.i.) To happen, succeed or act by turns; to follow reciprocally in place or time; -- followed by with; as, the flood and ebb tides alternate with each other.
- (n.) That which alternates with something else; vicissitude.
- (a.) Designating the members in a series, which regularly intervene between the members of another series, as the odd or even numbers of the numerals; every other; every second; as, the alternate members 1, 3, 5, 7, etc.; read every alternate line.
- (n.) A proportion derived from another proportion by interchanging the means.
- (v.t.) To perform by turns or in succession; to cause to succeed by turns; to interchange regularly.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). alternate. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/alternate/definitions/1972778 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "alternate" http://smartdefine.org/alternate/definitions/1972778 (accessed September 24, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, alternate, Smart Define, viewed 24 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/alternate/definitions/1972778>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "alternate" 27 May 2011. Web. 24 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/alternate/definitions/1972778> |