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

Add eggs, followed by the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 15 May 2024

Her Dagmar is alternately charming and ruthless, clearly a woman scarred by her own experiences, her pleasant matronly face a mask disguising the bestiality under the skin. —Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 May 2024

The actress smoothly shifts through her own feelings while alternately combatting, placating and, always, loving the domineering woman who is the play’s center of gravity. —Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 13 May 2024

Medical journals, doctors and the media refer alternately to multidrug resistance (MDR), drug-resistant infections (DRI) and superbugs. —Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024

Conan was alternately aghast and mesmerized by Norm’s rough play. —Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024

He was regarded by his devotees as alternately a sinister force and an avenging angel. —Stepheny Price, Fox News, 12 Apr. 2024

With mixer on low speed, gradually add powdered sugar, alternately with reserved blueberry puree, beating just until combined after each addition. —Pam Lolley, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024

Legal scholars have described it — alternately — as bold, radical, reckless and quite extraordinary. —William Booth, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1