Did you know?
Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word
alternate
- definition
What are red words?
90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing. These words appear in red, and are graded with stars. One-star words are frequent, two-star words are more frequent, and three-star words are the most frequent.
Thesaurus
The thesaurus of synonyms and related words is fully integrated into the dictionary entries. Click on the T button in an entry to review the synonyms and related words for that meaning.
more
/ˈɔːltə(r)neɪt/ 
| present tense | |
| I/you/we/they | alternate |
| he/she/it | alternates |
| present participle | alternating |
| past tense | alternated |
| past participle | alternated |
- 2[intransitive/transitive] to choose one thing or situation and then another, and keep repeating that pattern
Lay the shapes on the fabric, alternating the colours.
alternate something with something:The course allows students to alternate work with education.
She alternated blues and gospel songs throughout the evening.
The White House has alternated between tough talk and silence.
derived word
alternation
/ˌɔːltə(r)ˈneɪʃ(ə)n/ noun [countable/uncountable]| singular | alternation |
| plural | alternations |
This is the British English definition of alternate. View American English definition of alternate.
Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to American English.
vocal fry
a speech habit in which a speaker lowers their voice at the end of a sentence
BuzzWord ArticleWord of the Day
zeugma
the use of a word twice in the same sentence but with different meanings. The sentence ‘She...
Open Dictionary
conflict mineral
a mineral which is mined in a place where there is armed conflict, and sold to help pay for weapons
add a wordMore submissions
view entriesBlog
A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.
global English and language change from our blog