As a noun, it means another choice or possibility when you cannot or do not want to choose the usual one. As an adjective, it describes something different from the traditional or main option.
From Medieval Latin *alternātīva*, “a choice between two things,” from Latin *alternāre* (“to do by turns”) and *alter* (“other”). It entered English via French in the 16th century with the sense of choosing between options.
“Alternative” originally imagined just two options taking turns—this or that. Today we talk about “many alternatives,” stretching a word built for two into a buffet of choices. It shows how our idea of choice has exploded over time.
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