alt-rock

British

/ ɔːlt /

noun

a genre of rock music regarded by its practitioners and fans as being outside the mainstream

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of alt-rock

C20: from _alt ( _ernative ) + _rock

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins came out to join in on a cover of his band’s mid-’90s alt-rock hit “1979,” which was more recently trending audio on TikTok and Instagram.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

A couple of tunes veer in an alt-rock direction, such as “If I Leave,” which adopts the quiet verses/loud chorus structure of the ’90s to powerful effect.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

The author, who has published two books on the Rolling Stones and a comprehensive biography of Leon Russell, is also a musician, fronting the alt-rock trio Buffalo Tom.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

When Weezer was announced last weekend as a surprise addition to this year’s Coachella lineup, few likely predicted that the veteran alt-rock band’s set would be among the festival’s most closely watched.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2025

She married Scott Shriner in 2005, two years before he joined Weezer, the US band known for skewed alt-rock anthems such as Buddy Holly and Hash Pipe.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023