alternately
/ˈɔl.tɚ.nət.li/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.22 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
adv
In reciprocal succession; succeeding by turns; in alternate order.
adv
By alternation; when, in a proportion, the antecedent term is compared with antecedent, and consequent.
Example Sentences
- "Driving downtown is restricted to bikes with odd and even license plate numbers alternately by day of the month."
- "All night Katerina and I watched alternately, though, I shame to say, I slept more than I watched; and, having first ascertained that there was no change, I came directly hither."
- "Tired with the heat and my walk, I threw myself down on the grass in the shadow of the house, where I lay half-asleep enjoying a quiet rest, when I was startled by an unpleasant clamour, the jarring voice of a woman, who was trying by alternately scolding and using pet names to pacify a litter of grunting pigs on the farm."
- "Well, I can't help noticing that you insult me and then you're polite to me alternately."
- "The 2025 timetable would feature two trains per hour, alternately routed via Kirkcaldy (with 11 intermediate stops) and Dunfermline (14 stops), with journey times ranging between 65 and 81 minutes."
- "Downstairs, he was informed. That is, down the escalators, where there is both a women’s room (often with a line) and a men’s room (almost never with a line). Or alternately, he could ask the station master to buzz him into the “family” bathroom. He opted to go downstairs."
Etymology
Etymology tree English alternate Middle English -ly English -ly English alternately From alternate + -ly.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɔl.tɚ.nət.li/
- British English: [ɔːlˈtɜɹnətlɪ]