Meanings
- uncountableentertainmentA genre of rock music that is normally published on independent labels, comprising of many different subgenres, mostly distinguished by the prevalence of thick and distorted guitar sound.
It seems as if every passing year sees the mainstream embrace a longtime cult-favorite alternative rock band.
1995 June 3, David Sprague, “Buffalo Tom Reaches Crossroads: EastWest Trio At Make-Or-Break Point”, in Billboard, volume 107, number 22, page 9Synonyms: alternarock
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA genre of rock music that is normally published on independent labels, comprising of many different subgenres, mostly distinguished by the prevalence of thick and distorted guitar sound.
Translations
Esperanto alternativa rokmuziko
- alternativa rokmuzikogenre of rock music
French rock alternatif
- rock alternatifgenre of rock music
Hungarian alternatív rock
- alternatív rockgenre of rock music
Korean 얼터너티브 록
- 얼터너티브 록 (eolteoneotibeu rok)genre of rock music
Portuguese rock alternativo
- rock alternativogenre of rock music
Russian альтернати́вный рок
- альтернати́вный рок (alʹternatívnyj rok)genre of rock music
Cite this entry
alternative rock. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alternative%20rock
“alternative rock.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alternative%20rock. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alternative rock,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alternative%20rock.
Source: alternative rock on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.