Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

alternation

/ˈɒl.tə(ɹ)ˌneɪ.ʃən/ noun

Latin root: alternatio Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about alternation at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Successive change from one thing or state to another and back again.
a trill is a rapid alternation between the two notes

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin alternatio; compare French alternation. By surface analysis, alternate + -ion.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word