nonalternating
|non-alt-er-nat-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑnˈɔltərneɪtɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnˈɔːltəneɪtɪŋ/
not taking turns
Etymology
'nonalternating' originates from the negative prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non' via Old English/Old French usage), combined with 'alternating,' which comes from Latin 'alternare' meaning 'to do by turns'.
'alternating' developed from Latin 'alternare' → Old French/Medieval Latin forms (e.g. 'alterner') → Middle English 'alternate' with the present participle 'alternating'; the modern adjective 'nonalternating' is formed by prefixing 'non-' to that participial adjective.
Initially it simply meant 'not alternating' (i.e., 'not occurring by turns'), and this core meaning has been retained in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not alternating; not occurring in an alternating or reciprocal pattern.
The mechanism is nonalternating, so the same event happens at each step rather than switching.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/14 05:16