1. (a.) Offering a choice of two things.

2. (a.) Disjunctive; as, an alternative conjunction.

3. (a.) Alternate; reciprocal.

4. (n.) An offer of two things, one of which may be chosen, but not both; a choice between two things, so that if one is taken, the other must be left.

5. (n.) Either of two things or propositions offered to one's choice. Thus when two things offer a choice of one only, the two things are called alternatives.

6. (n.) The course of action or the thing offered in place of another.

7. (n.) A choice between more than two things; one of several things offered to choose among.

additional agent alternate alternate choice analogy another attainable backup change changeling choice comparison contingency copy counterfeit deputy different discretion discretional disjunctive double druthers dummy election elective equal equivalent ersatz escape clause escape hatch exchange exchangeable fake fill-in ghost ghostwriter imitation interchangeable locum tenens loophole makeshift metaphor metonymy mock next best thing option optional optionality personnel phony pinch pinch hitter pleasure possibility possible choice preference pretext provisional proxy relief replacement replacing representative reserve reserves ringer saving clause second string secondary selection sign spare spares stand-in stopgap sub substituent substitute substitution succedaneum superseder supplanter surrogate symbol synecdoche temporary tentative third string token understudy utility utility player variant vicar vicarious vice-president vice-regent volitional voluntary way of escape way out will and pleasure