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Definitions

alternatively

[awl-tur-nuh-tiv-lee, al-] / ɔlˈtɜr nə tɪv li, æl- /
ADVERB
preferably
Synonyms




Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

One almost gets a sense that the great doers of history were like robots, temporarily inhabited by an otherworldly spiritual force or, alternatively, were stick figures that Hegel moved about on his grandiose world-historical tableau.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

Depending on the president’s decisions, a restructuring could wipe out existing shareholders or alternatively see them realize a return of hundreds of billions of dollars on their investments.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

Any new leader will have to calculate whether regime survival will be ensured by continuing to fight - or, alternatively, talking and effectively giving in to US demands.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

Anthropic’s counter was that all of its practices—from the training itself to the utilization of books its engineers had alternatively pirated and purchased for Claude training—constituted an instance of fair use and were perfectly legal.

From Slate • Jun. 30, 2025

Thus, according to the American College Dictionary, a fact is ‘something that actually exists; reality’ and also, or alternatively, ‘a truth known by actual experience or observation; something known to be true’.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton