alternat means the custom, among diplomats, of rotation in precedence among representatives of equal rank, sometimes determined by lot and at other times in regular order. The practice obtains in the signing of treaties and conventions between nations. It carries an Arena rating of 1337, earned across 5 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, alternat ranks #1,310 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words, #4,273 of 17,151 for The Improbable, #5,282 of 17,105 for Most Storied Words, #5,801 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words.
Why “alternat” is a great word
A diplomatic custom of rotating precedence among representatives of equal rank, as in the signing of treaties. From French *alternat*, it is the choreography of sovereign egos, a procedural ballet devised to soothe the eternal diplomatic itch for precedence. Unlike “precedence,” which is the static condition of being considered more important, or “protocol,” which is the entire body of diplomatic ceremony, the alternat is a specific, procedural gear within the greater clockwork of statecraft. It is the careful shuffling of vellum pages before the signing, the subtle shift of a chair at the conference table, and the elegant, ink-stained solution to the insoluble question of who is first among equals—a fragile armistice for human pride.
noun
- The custom, among diplomats, of rotation in precedence among representatives of equal rank, sometimes determined by lot and at other times in regular order. The practice obtains in the signing of treaties and conventions between nations.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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