Alternation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɒl.tə(ɹ)ˌneɪ.ʃən/

Definitions

1. A process characterized by the regular occurrence of contrasting phases or elements that succeed each other in a systematic fashion
2. The method by which two or more different states, choices, or phenomena appear in succession, leading to variation
3. A sequence involving a repeated switching between differing states or conditions in a predictable manner

Etymology: The noun "alternation" comes into English as a learned borrowing from Latin "alternatio," a noun built on the Latin verb "alternare," meaning to do something by turns or to act in alternation. The Latin root "alter" means "the other of two," which is why the idea of taking turns is built into the word from the start. English also has a close relative in French, "alternation," which took the same Latin base along a similar path. The English word is a straightforward formation: the verb "alternate" with the noun-forming suffix "-ion" added on. Its meaning follows the sense of the Latin original, describing a process in which two or more things come one after another, such as the alternation of day and night or of current direction in an electrical circuit.

Synonyms: switching, change, variation

Antonyms: stability, uniformity