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

Long relegated to dining rooms and underutilized walls, these storage cabinets (alternately referred to as credenzas or buffet tables) are having a moment. —Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 4 Apr. 2025

Dills described her father as an alternately absent and abusive figure in her life. —Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025

Had my own middle graders come in from the other room, they would have been alternately horrified, scandalized, and bored. —Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Mar. 2025

Shiny Pokémon are extremely rare alternately colored Pokémon that have been a mainstay in the video game series since the release of Pokémon Gold and Silver, and have made multiple appearances in the physical Pokémon TCG throughout the years. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1