HomeServicesBlogDictionariesContactSpanish Course
← Back to search

Meaning of alternation | Babel Free

Noun CEFR C1
ˈɒl.tə(ɹ)ˌneɪ.ʃən

Definitions

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

Equivalents

العربية التّناوب
Български смяна
Esperanto alternado
Suomi vuorottelu
Gaeilge ailtéarnú
Italiano alternanza
Română alternare
Српски alternativa смена
Türkçe münavebe
Українська чергува́ння

Examples

“the alternation of day and night”
“alternation of summer and winter”
“alternation between night shifts and day shifts”
“alternation of feelings between hope and fear”
“There are Anthems to be found amongst them , where every syllable has its just length ; each part of a sentence its proper pause : where the words are not confused by perplexing alternations, or rendered tedious by unnecessary repetitions”
“dative alternation; locative alternation”
“1932, Harold Scott Macdonald Coxeter, The densities of the regular polytopes, part 2, reprinted in 1995, F. Arthur Sherk, Peter Mcmullen, Anthony C. Thompson, Asia Ivić Weiss (editors), Kaleidoscopes: Selected Writings of H. S. M. Coxeter, page 54, This case suggests that the alternation of a polyhedron should be bounded by actual vertex figures and alternated faces. The case of the cube is in agreement with this notion, since the alternated square is nothing.”

CEFR level

C1
Advanced
This word is part of the CEFR C1 vocabulary — advanced level.
See all C1 English words →

See also

Learn this word in context

See alternation used in real conversations inside our free language course.

Start Free Course

Know this word better than we do? Language is a living thing — help us keep it growing. Collaborate with Babel Free