Alternativeness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The trait of having diverse options or choices available
2. The characteristic of showing a different or nontraditional approach in ideas or style
3. Having the nature of being distinct from the mainstream or usual way of thinking or acting

Etymology: "Alternativeness" is a plain English formation: the adjective "alternative" with the suffix "-ness", which turns an adjective into a noun for a quality. The adjective came into English from Middle French "alternatif," which in turn descends from Latin "alternativus," built on "alternare," to do one thing and then another, from "alter," "the other of two." So the root idea is simply alternation between two options, and the sense of a different or nontraditional approach grew out of that original notion of choosing the other one. The suffix "-ness" has a long Germanic history of its own. It descends from Old English "-nes," which attached to native adjectives to form abstract nouns such as "goodness" and "darkness," and it has remained productive ever since, so almost any adjective can take it. "Alternativeness" is therefore a noun built on a Latinate adjective with a native English ending, a combination common in modern English.

Synonyms: variability, diversity, optionality, choice, flexibility

Antonyms: uniformity, monotony, sameness, consistency, rigidity