Alternate
/ɒlˈtɜː(ɹ).nət/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjHappening by turns; one following the other in succession of time or place; first one and then the other (repeatedly).
adjHappening by turns; one following the other in succession of time or place; first one and then the other (repeatedly)., Alternating; (of e.g. a pair of tinctures which a charge is coloured) succeeding in turns, or (relative to the field) counterchanged.
Sentence Examples
Odd numbers alternate with even ones.
Write on alternate lines.
There are pictures on alternate pages of the book.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
To ensure everyone gained experience, the captain asked players to ____ the team leadership each week.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The two players take ____ turns until one of them wins the game.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Latin alternātus, the perfect passive participle of Latin alternō (“to take turns”) (see -ate (1,2 and 3)), from alternus (“one after another, by turns”), from alter (“other”) + -nus. Doublet of altern; see also alter.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"And bid alternate passions fall and rise"
— 1711 May, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: […] W[illiam] Lewis […]; and sold by W[illiam] Taylor […], T[homas] Osborn[e] […], and J[ohn] Graves […], →OCLC:
"One of the two boxes displaced by the new Pelaw installation will be Springwell, between Boldon Colliery and Pelaw, which has recently had the distinction of being manned by a husband and wife on alternate shifts."
— 1960 September, “Talking of Trains: Newcastle signal area enlarged”, in Trains Illustrated, page 522:
"The service is half-hourly as far as Harrogate and Knaresborough, with alternate trains going on to York."
— 2021 December 15, Robin Leleux, “Awards honour the best restoration projects: The Arch Company Award for Urban Heritage: Knaresborough”, in RAIL, number 946, page 56:
"Goldschmidt (Austria; creation July 27, 1862): [...] party, argent and gules, an eagle of alternate colors, [...]"
— 1925, The Jewish Encyclopedia: Chazars-Dreyfus Case, page 128:
"Grateful alternates of substantial peace."
— 1718, Mat[thew] Prior, “Solomon on the Vanity of the World. A Poem in Three Books.”, in Poems on Several Occasions, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], and John Barber […], →OCLC, (please specify the page):
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
To ensure everyone gained experience, the captain asked players to ____ the team leadership each week.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The two players take ____ turns until one of them wins the game.