Alternative
Alternative adjective - Necessitating a choice between mutually exclusive possibilities.
Optional and alternative are semantically related In some cases you can use "Optional" instead an adjective "Alternative".
Optional
Optional adjective - Subject to one's freedom of choice.
Usage example: at the resort all recreational activities are optional, and you may choose to participate in none of them
Alternative and optional are semantically related in possible topic. Sometimes you can use "Alternative" instead an adjective "Optional".
Nearby Words: option, optionally
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
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In Tales of Xillia 2, Redau can be fought as many as three times, (The first encounter being optional, but most people will pick it over the alternative for obvious reasons).
Source: Recurring Boss -
It hasn't been unheard of for attendance to be optional, but for all non-attendees to be required to perform some particularly unpleasant or monotonous duty as an alternative.
Source: Got Volunteered -
Worth noting it was implied that this system was either an optional court alternative or reserved for certain crimes.
Source: Video Game / Bastion
Cite this Source
Optional and Alternative. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/alternative/optional
Alternative & Optional. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/alternative/optional>.
Optional or Alternative. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/alternative/optional.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "alternative" and "optional" have occurred on timeline