Alternations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Changes that involve back-and-forth shifts between differing elements
2. The successive appearances of varied forms or states in a patterned sequence
3. Instances of shifting repeatedly between different conditions or forms ; a series of changes that occur in a set order or pattern

Etymology: "Alternations" is simply the plural of "alternation," so it names several instances of the process at once. The singular "alternation" was borrowed directly from Latin "alternatio," a noun built from the verb "alternare," meaning to do something by turns or to take turns. That Latin verb descends from "alter," meaning "the other (of two)," which is why the core idea is one thing giving way to another in sequence. English also has "alternate" as a verb and adjective from the same Latin root, and the noun "alternation" follows the familiar pattern of an English verb plus the "-ion" ending borrowed from Latin. In practice the two words travel together: "alternate" describes the back-and-forth itself, while "alternation" names the act or the resulting pattern.

Synonyms: variations, changes, modifications, swaps, switches

Antonyms: stability, uniformity, consistency, continuity, permanence