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

Examples of alternately in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Parasite tells the story — alternately comedic and dramatic — of a poor family infiltrating the lives and home of a rich family in present-day Korea. —Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2025

In the video, Jean Carlo Leon, a TikTok star and influencer, struts between a series of red rooms dressed alternately in a suit, a snug tank top, chunky leather boot, printed short-sleeve shirt and tailored shorts. —Jean E. Palmieri, WWD, 26 Feb. 2025

So, this alternately cocky and petulant child of privilege insists on a pugilistic path to show up Daddy? —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 Feb. 2025

Culkin has swept just about all of the awards-season precursors, and his lovely performance as an alternately charming, infuriating, manic, troubled American tourist in Jesse Eisenberg’s very good A Real Pain deserves the acclaim. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1