alternatecharset
nounUK /ɔːlˈtɜːnət ˈtʃɑːsɛt/
US /ˈɔːltərnət ˈtʃɑːrsɛt/
A different set of letters and symbols a computer can use to show text.
The old website uses an alternatecharset so the letters look right on every computer.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A backup set of characters used when the main one cannot display a symbol.
The program switched to an alternatecharset to show the special symbol.
3. A secondary character mapping chosen for a specific language or region.
For Japanese text, the browser picked an alternatecharset automatically.
4. A replacement character table used to fix garbled text.
Changing the alternatecharset made the strange symbols readable again.