alternative medicine/therapies• Clinicalecology is one of the more controversial forms of alternative medicine.• It must be stressed that there are important differences between stagehypnotism and the techniques used in alternative medicine.• Needle Works Acupuncture is widely used in human alternative medicine.• TonySmithclaims that the purpose of our newsletter is to support alternative medicine.• There are so many forms of alternative medicine and there's no doubt it's getting more popular.• She says a range of alternative therapies have helped her improve.• We can not dismiss claims about, say, alternative medicine or acupuncture a priori.• In Homoeopathy and many other types of alternative medicine the patient's illness is placed in a much larger context.
alternative2 ●●○S3W3AWL noun [countableC]
CHOOSEsomething you can choose to do or use instead of something else 可供选择的事物
alternative to
Is there a viable alternative to the present system?
有没有切实可行的制度能够替代现行体制?
If payment is not received, legal action will be our only alternative.
如果收不到付款,我们只能采取法律行动。
I had no alternative but to report him to the police.
除了向警方举报他,我别无选择。
He quickly assessed the alternatives open to him.
他迅速估计了一下还有哪些办法可以采用。
nCOLLOCATIONS
adjectives
a good/attractive alternative
If you don’t want curtains, blinds are a good alternative.
a possible/acceptable/satisfactory alternative
I’m busy tomorrow but Wednesday is a possible alternative.
a real/serious alternative
Co-operation offers the only real alternative.
a viable alternative (=that can work as successfully)
Hydrogen offers a viable alternative to petrol and diesel.
a practical alternative
This treatment represents a practical alternative to surgery.
a cheap alternative
A take-away is a cheap alternative to eating out.
a safe alternative
Will there ever be a safe alternative to nuclear power?
a healthy alternative
Low-fat biscuits are a healthy alternative to cake.
verbs
have an alternative
You have a few alternatives to choose from.
offer/provide an alternative
If your first choice is not available, we always have alternatives to offer.
suggest an alternative
Do you have an alternative you can suggest?
seek an alternative
People are seeking alternatives to meat-based dishes.
find an alternative
The program is directed to finding alternatives to oil and natural gas.
phrases
have no/little alternative (but to do something)
He had no alternative but to resign.
leave somebody with no alternative (but to do something)
I was left with no alternative but to seek legal advice.
had no alternative• He decided that he had no alternative but to flee abroad.• My daughters and I had no alternative but to get out.• The District Court believed that it had no alternative to imposing a tax increase.• Because their environment had been reduced the pandashad no alternative but to remain where there was no food.• If he was right she had no alternative but to stay put.• They had no alternative but to take the cause of all the drama to hospital, forty miles away in Bulawayo.