The quality of being alternative; the state or property of offering or providing another option or choice.
From 'alternative' plus the English suffix '-ness,' creating an abstract noun for the quality of being alternative or offering options.
The very concept of alternativeness—having genuine choices—is relatively new historically; for most of human history, people had little to no choice in occupation, religion, or lifestyle, making modern consumer culture's emphasis on alternatives distinctly modern.
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