alternative history

[ awl-tur-nuh-tiv his-tuh-ree, his-tree, al-tur- ]

noun

1. history that is based on an unconventional or nontraditional interpretation of an event or events:

   Charting a hitherto untold story with historical and contemporary implications, these essays present a compelling alternative history of theatrical practice in the UK.

2. alternate history:

   She writes alternative history that is detailed and hard to resist.

   The book is a supernatural alternative history.

alternative history

noun

1. a genre of fiction in which the author speculates on how the course of history might have been altered if a particular historical event had had a different outcome

Word History and Origins

Origin of alternative history¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Fans have flocked to Netflix events centered around its most popular titles, including “Bridgerton,” with some fans dressing up for balls that resemble the ones depicted in the Regency-era alternative history romance series.

From Los Angeles Times

We love plunging into hypothetical topics and alternative history, but this discussion has little meat on which we can chew.

From Seattle Times

His alternative history of how Florida would teach the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or the Holocaust is superb over-the-top political humor that belongs to the George Carlin tradition of ridiculing euphemism.

From New York Times

The Hotline loves alternative history — as noted on the podcast, I could ride the wormhole all the way back to the South winning Gettysburg.

From Seattle Times

Directed by Lisa Cortés and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, “The Space Race” offers an alternative history of American space travel through interviews with pioneering figures — including Ed Dwight, an Air Force captain who was the first Black trainee at the Aerospace Research Pilot School; and Guy Bluford, who became the first African American to go to space almost two decades later, in 1983.

From New York Times