alternate

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun someone who takes the place of another person
  2. verb go back and forth; swing back and forth between two states or conditions
  3. verb exchange people temporarily to fulfill certain jobs and functions

Etymology

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.

In classic literature

Synonyms

surrogate, replacement

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