alternative vs option

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. 

option

noun
  • One of a set of choices that can be made. 

  • A contract giving the holder the right to buy or sell an asset at a set strike price; can apply to financial market transactions, or to ordinary transactions for tangible assets such as a residence or automobile. 

  • The freedom or right to choose. 

  • The acquiring or retention of a nationality through personal choice as a right, bypassing selective legal mechanisms for naturalization, especially in cases where a territory is transferred or passed on from one state to another. 

verb
  • To purchase an option on something. 

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