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

German leaders have alternately criticized Mr. Musk and tried to ignore him. —Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025

Roadside shops alternately sold men new tires and women new faces, while storefront signs in butchered French were the only trace of the tender motherhood Mikhail had hoped for. —Youmna Melhem Chamieh, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025

Or, alternately, catch the Harlem Gospel Choir at the Blue Note during the day for its 12 Days of Christmas residency. —The New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2024

Right on top is O’Neal, riding that pulse-racing groove by alternately swerving and stepping on the acceleration. —Marc Hirsh, Vulture, 21 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1