alternative vs constraint

alternative

noun
  • One of several mutually exclusive things which can be chosen. 

  • A situation which allows a mutually exclusive choice between two or more possibilities; a choice between two or more possibilities. 

  • alternative rock 

  • A non-offensive word or phrase that serves as a replacement for a word deemed offensive or unacceptable, though not as a euphemism. 

  • The remaining option; something available after other possibilities have been exhausted. 

adj
  • Relating to a choice between two or more possibilities. 

  • Presenting two or more alternatives. 

  • Other; different from something else. 

  • Not traditional, outside the mainstream, underground. 

constraint

noun
  • Something that constrains; a restriction. 

  • An irresistible force or compulsion. 

  • A condition that a solution to an optimization problem must satisfy. 

  • A linkage or other restriction that maintains database integrity. 

  • The repression of one's feelings. 

How often have the words alternative and constraint occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )