(Noun) A shortened version of the word "alternative." Altie describes the group of angsty people (mainly teenagers) who think they're emo, but really aren't. These people tend to shop at Hot Topic, love TV shows such as Stranger Things, Riverdale and 13 Reasons Why, listen to bands such as Twenty One Pilots, Panic! at the Disco and Fall Out Boy and love the Youtubers Dan Howell and Phil Lester.

In the mid 1990s, "Altie" was used to refer to someone who subscribed to an alternative lifestyle-- whether skateboarding, proto-goth & emo, or punk.

Used in Usenet groups belonging to the "alt.*" hierarchy. Specifically, members refer to themselves as "alties" when posting about a fellow member of a newsgroup.

In the example below, the term "altie" indicates that "Mike" is a regular contributor on the alt.coffee group.