alt-coun·try
ˈȯlt-ˈkən-trē
: country music that is produced by performers who are outside the mainstream of country music and that is typically regarded as differing from mainstream country in being less polished, more original, and more eclectic especially in incorporating influences from such genres as rock, folk music, blues, and punk
called also alternative country
variants
or less commonly Alternative Country
: alt-country
The former rockers returned their format to alternative country and never looked back.—Beth Feinstein-Bartl
The sounds of Alternative Country definitely have their roots in the Country and Western of old. The music is charged with a combination of the country sound—the ever-so-sad twanging of an acoustic guitar—and the furious sound … of rock-and-roll's sensory assault.—Amber Holst
—often hyphenated when used before another nounan alternative-country group/band
Cite this Entry
“Alt-country.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alt-country. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.
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