alternately
adverb
al·ter·nate·ly
US and Canadian
ˈȯl-tər-nət-lē
also ˈal-;
chiefly British ȯl-ˈtər-
1
: by turns one after the other
His heart rate was 175, his blood pressure alternately spiking and falling.—Stephen King
As the gravitational waves passed Earth, they would alternately compress and expand the space between two objects.—Neil deGrasse Tyson et al.
The rest of the day I spent alternately pacing the length of the train … or looking out the windows.—Rick Riordan
2
: as an alternative
—used to introduce a different possibility from what has been previously suggested or described
From then on, you can take out almost $10,000 a year and annuitize $160,000 after at least ten years. Alternately, you can make no withdrawals and let your guaranteed base grow by 6 percent a year.—Kerry Pechter
The club was originally known as Fontana Bar (or, alternately, Fontana Lounge and Fontana Room) from Bellagio's opening until it shifted to Hyde in December 2011.—John Katsilometes
You could be in for a pretty remarkable experience—or, alternately, one of the most miserable and terrifying nights of your life.—Drew Schwartz
Cite this Entry
“Alternately.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alternately. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.
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