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

Then alternately fold in 1/3 of dry mixture and 1/3 of milk mixture. —Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025

And whether the Carolina Panthers are just stuck in an endless loop of embarrassment, one that alternately humiliates and enrages their fans. —Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Sep. 2025

In the film, Shy is played by Jay Lycurgo, an alternately sensitive and intimidating young actor in his breakout role, and the bag doesn’t appear until midway through, when the film crew go snooping without permission in the students’ room. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025

Trump on Monday demanded that COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers prove that their shots have been effective, adding to his long string of comments alternately praising − and doubting the effectiveness of − the potentially life-saving medication. —Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1