# alternation

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɒl.tə(ɹ)ˌneɪ.ʃən/ · frequency rank #50,929

## Definitions
1. The reciprocal succession of (normally two) things in time or place; the act of following and being followed by turns; alternate succession, performance, or occurrence
2. The response of the congregation speaking alternately with the minister.
3. Ablaut.
4. A pattern by which more than one construct is possible, as with "Alice cooked Bob dinner" and "Alice cooked dinner for Bob".
5. The "inclusive or" truth function.
6. A sequence that alternates between positive and negative values.
7. A permutation.
8. A construct in a regular expression that can match any of several specified subexpressions.
9. A type of partial truncation of a polygon, polyhedron or tiling in which alternate vertices are removed.

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

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/alternation