alternating
adjective
Simple meaning
Happening in turns or one after another.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
awlternaytingSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɔltɚneɪtɪŋ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
That alternates.
mathematicsof a series
Having terms that alternate between positive and negative.
mathematicsof a knot
Having a planar diagram whose crossings alternate between "over" and "under" as one travels along the knot.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Word Aura is being prepared for this meaning.
More ways to use alternating
- “Alternating current.”adjective
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
An old term for an electric generator that produces alternating current (especially in automobiles).
One of a number of things from which only one can be chosen.
In place of, or as an alternative to.
In an alternating sequence or position.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
An electric current that reverses direction sinusoidally.
An electric current that reverses direction sinusoidally.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.